Final Apocalypse
by yuripraetorian
Summary: The end is here and it's not a roaring blast...be warned for few will survive to see the coming dawn of a new era. This AU series contains dark and disturbing content. It will probably earn an 'M' rating as it progresses. Yuri.
1. Alpha

**DISCLAIMER: **Sunrise owns everything MaiHime and MaiOtome.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **I have the fortune of working with a good beta and great characters. Read, review, and enjoy as we set off for the last trip.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Alpha**

The small truck moved swiftly along the barren desert road bumping furiously. The truck's two occupants were totally clueless as to the contents of their cargo. The young blonde driver was fixated on the benefit of an early delivery of their cargo, rather than its safety. As the truck hit another small rut, the dark-haired passenger yelped when his head hit the roof of the truck yet again.

"Slow it down, Tate!" Takeda snarled as he rubbed his head.

"We get a week off you idiot. A week! For early delivery only," Tate replied smiling as he tugged on his seatbelt, tightening it once again.

"I would like to live long enough to enjoy it. You have no idea what is in that case back there," Takeda said looking at the suspended metal case with trepidation, as Tate recklessly whipped the truck around a large hole in the road.

"What does it matter? That government guy is going to pay us to take a vacation," Tate smugly replied as he looked back at the small inconspicuous metal case.

Just as the long drive was nearing its destined end, a rather large cat darted out into the road. Tate, hyper-alert and eyes too clearly focused on the prize, became startled and turned the wheel too sharply. Takeda grabbed for his seatbelt too late as the truck veered into the path of another oncoming truck.

The small truck was thrown onto its side in a mad roll, snapping the restraints holding the mysterious metal case. As the small silver case hit the floor, walls, and roof of the truck, it cracked open, setting loose the single vial it contained. Before the truck had stopped its violent rollover, the rear doors popped open, throwing the vial to the ground, where it shattered instantly.

When the truck finally came to a stop, both passengers were barely conscious.

"Stupid cat…it could've killed us," Tate grumbled, just before losing consciousness.

"Luckily, your inept driving nearly did instead," Takeda said, before taking his last breath.

As the morning progressed, nearby hospitals were quickly being overrun with accident victims and patients who were violently ill. An emergency nurse in a nearby hospital, who spent time in countries ravaged by disease, commented that the staggering number of patients rivaled anything she had seen during those years. Many of the incoming patients would die before being seen by a doctor. The number of healthy medical staff was quickly dwindling. Deceased were beginning to outnumber living.


	2. Beta

**DISCLAIMER: **MaiHime and MaiOtome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my beta…thank you for making sense out of my non-sense.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Beta**

The tall woman stood in the doorway of the science convention, having grown bored with the endless droning of the narrow minds; she impatiently waited for an opportunity to leave. The best and brightest minds on the planet had gathered for a convention on recent medical advances. Arguments were being leveled around the room. It seemed half were concerned over the dangers and the other half were concerned about the breach of ethics.

The Searrs Corporation had slinked away from the nasty effects of the end of the Carnival and had quietly entered medical research. It worked well as a cover, since they could easily hide their true intentions behind medical advances benefitting mankind. Over the years following the end of the Carnival, Searrs sent agents deep undercover to follow each former HiME in order to procure blood and tissue samples from each, as well as from each of their most important persons.

Weary of the relentless name calling and the stalled progress of the convention schedule, the woman shook her head, returned the pamphlets and her notepad to her briefcase, and exited the main hall. The roar of the voices died as the double doors closed behind her. She shook her head as she read the lobby poster: 'Welcome to the Searrs Research Facilities 5th Annual Advances in Medicine Convention'.

"What idiots!" the woman said aloud as she headed out to hail a taxi.

As she rode to her hotel, she pondered over the events at the convention.

'It seems the only reason Searrs wanted me to attend was for the press and possible donation. If tonight's meeting is a repeat performance of today's fiasco, I'm heading home in the morning,' the woman thought to herself.

Upon entering her hotel room, the woman tossed her briefcase onto the second unused bed, and stretched out on her bed. She knew the arguing at the convention would end only with the serving of the free dinner. Since she opted to skip the dinner of rubbery chicken, she settled in for a nap. Stripping down to just her panties, she pulled back the covers on her bed and rearranged the pillows, before sliding in. Details from the convention burned through her mind, making it hard for her to close her eyes.

Pulling out the television remote from the top drawer of the nightstand, the woman turned on the television. The white noise from the television usually helped lull her to sleep on most ordinary days; however, today was not an ordinary day. Instead of drifting off to dreamland, she quickly sat up in bed when something on television caught her ears.

"Hospitals all over China and now here in the United States are being overrun with sick and wounded people. They are dying in alarming numbers; some slowly and others within mere hours of infection. All commercial flights in and out of both countries have been grounded, but privately owned planes are still being given clearance. Both countries have asked for any assistance they can get from neighboring allies around the world. They are in desperate need of medical staff and supplies. Now we head over to the International news desk and Shane Patterson for the latest news out of China…Shane."

"Thanks Connie. In the most recent update out of Hong Kong, it seems there has been a complete broadcast blackout from Inner Mongolia. Reports are still slim at this time, but news from Japan and Korea indicates these countries are also showing signs of infection and closing all borders to commercial traffic in and out. It would seem…"

The woman bolted out of bed and retrieved her mobile phone from her jacket. Her first call was to her girlfriend, but all she got was a message stating the customer was not receiving calls. Cursing out of frustration, she called her assistant and had flight arrangements made to return home to Japan. As her assistant became panicked by the news reports, the woman found her inner calm and sternly reminded the younger woman of following orders.

Living out of a suitcase for the past three days, it took barely fifteen minutes for the woman to get ready to meet her assistant in the hotel lobby. Apparently, the word had spread, because the elevators were filled to capacity. Knowing the lazy side of humanity would mean clear stairwell access, the woman made for the stairway and quickly dashed down to the crowded lobby.

The scene in the lobby was sheer pandemonium as hotel guests flooded the front desk, rushing to check-out. Being a well-seasoned traveler, the woman already checked out using the automated system in her room. There were so many people in the lobby; she could barely make her way through without having to apologize for bumping into people. For one brief moment, she paused by the bar entrance and watched the news broadcasting scenes of the overrun hospitals.

Making her way out of the hotel, she met her assistant and as they sped off to the private airstrip, the woman thought to herself, "Jeez, what have these idiots done?"


	3. Gamma

**DISCLAIMER: **MaiHime and MaiOtome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **My thanks once again to my beta…

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Gamma**

Shiho Tate, in a near panic, looked at her sleeping children as she watched the news. With her husband Yuuichi and his best friend Takeda, off on some business trip to Inner Mongolia, her heart sank while watching the nightly news. Shiho didn't understand what business the two could have over in China, but her husband practically glowed when he told her about this job and promised a family vacation upon his return. Feeling sick to her stomach and close to nervous breakdown, Shiho picked up the telephone with shaking hands.

"Greetings, Tatsu Neko. Due to the current health crisis, we are no longer accepting reservations," announced the young woman who answered the telephone.

"Umm…I need to speak with Mai Tokiha or Mikoto Minagi please," Shiho requested.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but they are not here," the young woman replied.

"Are they at home?" Shiho asked with a desperate edge to her voice.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say," the young woman answered.

"PLEASE, I'm a friend of theirs…from school," Shiho almost screamed.

"I'm sor…"

"I NEED TO SPEAK TO THEM!"

"I'm very sorry ma'am, but I _can_ transfer you to their private voicemail," the young woman said comfortingly, her heart going out to the frantic woman on the telephone.

"There's no need…unless Miss Tokiha is currently due to be arriving home," Shiho stated curtly.

"No ma'am, she's not. All we know is Miss Tokiha and Miss Minagi are both heading out on vacation…a place called Fuka, I believe," the young woman responded with a touch of mirth to her voice.

"FUKA?" Shiho asked incredulous.

"Yes ma'am. If you leave your name and number I'll let them know you called when they check in."

"Just tell them Shiho called, thank you," Shiho responded as she looked up at the calendar and realized the date.

Just before she hung up the telephone, Shiho heard the young women cough violently with what sounded like an echo in the background.

As Shiho hung up the telephone, she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when she realized what day it was. It had been fifteen years ago this month when the Carnival started and ended with the destruction of the HiME star. Now Shiho felt real panic set in as she realized this would be the first year Yuuichi was not with her for the anniversary of the Carnival in nine years of marriage.

Yuuichi unsuccessfully tried to date Mai Tokiha and a few other girls during their years at Fuka, but Shiho had eventually won him over with some help from Akane Kurauchi and Mai. Shiho matured into a beautiful young woman during her high school years and there had been other young men, but she wanted only Yuuichi.

"Fifteen years, they're all coming back again…," Shiho said to the empty living room as she ran a hand through her shoulder length hair and started to cry.

In an Osaka emergency ward,

Kazuya Kurauchi wept as his young wife departed this world for the next. Her former beauty was barely recognizable, due to the ravages of the illness which finally claimed her. They had no children, since both wanted to start careers right out of University. Kazuya stayed with Akane's remains until the attendants came to remove her body and sterilize the room.

None of the doctors on call could tell Kazuya just what had been wrong with Akane. There was very little time from when she had started wasting away to her last breath. As Kazuya left the room, he started to cough so violently he dropped to the floor, spitting up blood and bile onto the cold tiles.

The ward was so chaotic; no one gave him a second glance, even as two attendants came to place him on a gurney in the hall. Kazuya suddenly felt cold and dizzy. As the room seemed to spin around him, Kazuya Kurauchi just smiled, knowing he would soon be with his beloved young wife once again.

Meanwhile in a Tokyo emergency ward,

The young intern stood in the hall, unsure of what to do when he realized he contracted some form of the same illness affecting so many others. Walking the halls, the young man removed his soiled white coat and tossed it on top of the overflowing laundry bin. To him, after all he had been through as a youngster; it seemed unfair this would be the end of his short young life. There were still so many things left.

The young man left the hospital and headed to the apartment he shared with two other interns. As he walked the streets heading to his apartment, the young man was amazed by the sparse traffic on the roads and the numerous people wandering about aimlessly. So many seemed uninfected by the disease and yet others were huddled in areas preparing to meet their maker.

When he finally reached his apartment two hours later, the young man collapsed on his bed. He was very sore and tired from the long walk, since public transportation was no longer in service. Surprisingly, he felt wet, as well as hot and itchy. He couldn't believe he sweat that much from the walk, since he rarely sweat.

As the young man tried to sit up to remove his clothing, his body screamed in agony. When he unbuttoned his shirt, he screamed loudly as he stared at the bleeding open sores covering his body. Unable to do more than roll over and look at the two pictures on his nightstand, the young man instantly regretted leaving his mobile phone in the tray at the front door, along with his keys. Feeling exhausted and close to sleep, the young man apologized to the pictures of his older sister and his kunoichi fiancée, before allowing the darkness to descend upon him.


	4. Delta

**DISCLAIMER: **MaiHime and Mai Otome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my beta, I give my most heartfelt thanks. To my readers and reviewers I must say thank you for taking the time to do so. To my lurkers, yes, I am addressing you as well, stick around and kick your feet up.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Delta**

With an overwhelming sense of helplessness, Alyssa Searrs incredulously watched the world die around her. Right this moment, she was regretting the decision she made at University.

When she entered University, she spent her first year as Pre-Med with a minor in Robotics, which was a new frontier at the time. At the end of her first year, she knew her passion was Robotics. Since graduation, Alyssa had become a pioneer in Robotics, advancing the field with the help of Miyu. Although her work was more than satisfying and kept her extremely busy, a few years ago, Alyssa chose to become a single mother. Rather than conceive a child with one of the young men she was dating, she opted to use a donor to eliminate any custody problems. She and Miyu have been raising her infant daughter together since.

Sitting in front of the television with her daughter in her arms, Alyssa watched as reports started to come in from countries all over the world. As she realized how many infected people she saw today, she wept uncontrollably. The slumbering infant in her arms was a calm and stark contrast to her mother right now.

As Alyssa waited for Miyu to bring the car around for their long drive to Fuka, she looked at her daughter and wondered if either of them had contracted the illness infecting so many people across the planet. Alyssa's thoughts then crossed to her fellow former HiME. She started to wonder how the others were doing during this crisis. It was hard not knowing, but it would be harder to know for sure.

Alyssa was lost in her thoughts and concerns when Miyu arrived with the car.

"Miss Alyssa," Miyu addressed her mistress.

Startled, Alyssa jumped when she heard Miyu.

"Miyu!"

A quick scan of Alyssa answered Miyu's questions. She ignored Alyssa's outburst and escorted Alyssa and her daughter to the car, grabbing the suitcases on the way. Alyssa passed her daughter to Miyu, who safely secured the infant in her traveling seat. Miyu double–checked Alyssa's seat belt, got in the driver's seat, and started out for Fuka.

"Your biometric readings indicate you are in a state of extreme duress," Miyu said with a display of genuine concern.

"Haven't you been following the news?" Alyssa asked in an agitated and suddenly childish tone.

"No I have not. The high pitch and agitation present in your voice indicates the news is unpleasant and shocking," Miyu replied in her usual monotone.

"People across the planet are dying Miyu…," Alyssa leaned forward and turned on the radio, "Just listen."

As Miyu drove, they listened to the reports of the rising death rate coming in with increasing frequency. The death toll around the globe was climbing even though all commercial traffic was suspended. It was clear all efforts made to stem this epidemic were in vain, because it was now global and beyond control. Miyu scanned Alyssa and her daughter hourly, making sure neither one had contracted the illness; so far, both appeared to be free of any signs of infection.

For anyone else, the long drive to Fuka would have been exhausting, but for Miyu, it was nothing more than the passage of time. Each time Alyssa fell asleep, Miyu turned off the radio, but it woke the young woman and she quickly turned it back on.

"Leave it on," Alyssa warned with just a hint of malice.

Miyu thought it an odd human behavior, finding comfort in bad news.

At the Tsukimori train station,

Fumi Himeno and Yukariko Ishigami greeted Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi, upon arrival in Tsukimori. They were on the last inbound train for Fuka. To the dismay of many others, the train was not returning on an outbound trip. As the four women made their way through the station to the headmistress' car, an announcement came over the station PA system.

"Due to the recent health crisis and limited available staff, this station will be closed until further notice. We ask all individuals currently in the station to claim their baggage and promptly exit the premises."

Yukariko was sniffling and coughing, while Fumi, Mai, and Mikoto appeared in good health. They retrieved their luggage as quickly as possible, while the recorded announcement droned repeatedly. The drive back to Fuka Gakuen disturbed Mai considerably, as she watched Yukariko stare out the window, utterly lost. Yukariko had already lost her husband, Wataru, and now one of her daughters, Wakaba, was amongst the students missing from the dormitory quarantine.

Wakaba's twin sister, Naname, like her mother, was barely showing signs of illness. Naname remained behind with Mr. Sakomizu in order to help search for her twin sister and other missing students. Since Yukariko received the news of Wakaba's disappearance from the dormitory, she was an emotional wreck, capable of nothing more than walking silently at Fumi's side.

"Many of the students are already sick and about two thirds of the teaching staff is also," Fumi said as they arrived closer to the gates of the school grounds, "Some of the healthier students returned home on the last train out. Miss Sugiura and Miss Sagisawa called and said they would be flying in some time during the early morning hours."

"Did they sound okay to you?" Mai asked, as she now also seemed focused on the passing scenery.

"Miss Sugiura indicated they were both in excellent health. I am asking you not to roam the grounds once we get to the school. I understand the reason you all are returning, but the sick did not adhere to the dormitory quarantine. Only a handful of the healthy staff consented to help find these people, in order to quarantine them."

"Mai and I will help," Mikoto said to Fumi, since they seemed to be the only ones not lost in thought.

Yukariko closed her tear-filled eyes not long after they left Tsukimori. She now appeared to be sleeping fitfully with her head propped against the window. Mai was worried about her brother Takumi, since she hadn't heard from him, even though she knew he was probably busy at the hospital.

Fumi decided to have each of the returning HiME stay at the Headmistress' Residence. She maintained a calm façade, even though she was very upset by the recent world events that already darkened her door with quite a few deaths. She did her best to keep her spirits up, but her suit was beginning to give her a nagging itch. As they passed through the gates of the school grounds, Fumi stifled a gasp and motioned to Mikoto to remain silent as well. She could barely contain her tears as the car continued past the prone and lifeless body of Wakaba Ishigami.

In Tokyo,

Akira Okuzaki chuckled as she thought of her fiancée's penchant for calling her 'the perpetual student.' She left her dorm at University with her car already packed for the trip. The drive to the hospital scared her as Akira realized the spreading infection had obliterated the congested daily traffic in the city.

In the hospital emergency room, Akira tried to maneuver through the chaos to find Takumi. Realizing he was nowhere among the staff or patients, Akira's stomach lurched. Running to her car, Akira kept repeating, "Please no" in her mind. Fifteen panic-filled minutes later, Akira arrived at Takumi's apartment and opened the door with her key.

Fighting back the wave of nausea sweeping over her, she ran to Takumi's bedroom. Full of fear and dread, she opened his bedroom door and slowly entered. The stench immediately hit her. Takumi died twenty minutes earlier in his sleep. Akira staggered to the foot of his blood-soaked bed and collapsed. She began to scream as hot tears flooded her eyes, because she knew there would be no miracle reset this time.


	5. Epsilon

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai Hime and Mai Otome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my koi, 'yurianimeotaku', my beta, all of this wouldn't have been possible without you.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Epsilon**

As the woman sat looking out the window of her company's small private jet, all she could think of was her beloved girlfriend. She still couldn't get anything more than the mobile message service and text messages to their friends went unanswered. Her flight was due to arrive at the Saga Airport in less than an hour and sleep was threatening to consume her. Since she and her assistant left the United States last night, neither had gotten any sleep.

Global communications were becoming less frequent, outside the limited air-traffic communication they heard coming from the cockpit, during their long flight home to Japan. When her assistant tried to call their home office yet again, the woman looked over at her assistant and sadly shook her head. Clearly, no one seemed to be answering anymore. As they got closer to home, it was clear they would be lucky if they arrived in one piece.

As their flight reached the flight zone over the airport, the tower instructed them to queue in behind another private flight. Lining up to follow the other craft, their jet hit a patch of turbulence that violently shook the plane. The young assistant released her seatbelt and went to check with the pilots. She returned white as a sheet and quickly buckled her seat belt.

"You should've stayed in your seat," the woman said as her assistant started to whisper a repetitive prayer, "The co-pilot was coughing when we boarded the plane."

"He…his body…," the young woman was now in tears and shaking as she tried to fight the image of the dead co-pilot.

The pilot announced their approach in a hoarse raspy voice and the woman gritted her teeth. She gripped her armrest so hard, her knuckles turned white. It was clear to her their pilot was also getting ready to meet his maker.

'_Just let him land the damn plane first,'_ the woman thought as the plane started to descend, landing roughly, but safely on the airstrip.

Once the plane stopped moving, the woman went to thank the pilot for his services and met him at the open hatch. The man was facing away from the cabin retching violently and waving her off. It seemed he knew his time was short. A brief glance of the co-pilot's arm was enough to tell the woman she didn't need to see anymore. His skin was grey and the stench from the cabin nearly caused both exiting women to retch as well.

As they walked through the nearly lifeless airport, the woman realized her assistant was restless and scratching. A loud voice boomingly echoed through the nearly empty airport terminal. The woman caught a brief glimpse of the person responsible for the booming voice and had to laugh.

"Fifteen years later and it seems that Suzushiro hasn't changed a bit," the woman chuckled as she and her assistant made their way to the parking lot to find the company car her assistant arranged for pick up.

In the nearly empty parking lot, it wasn't difficult locating the car. They threw their suitcases in the trunk and drove out of the unmanned parking structure. The woman glanced over at her young assistant in the passenger's seat and saw the bloody fingertips first. She looked at her assistant and saw the young woman shaking and crying. Blood was soaking through the young assistant's clothes.

"Please…please take me to the nearest temple," the younger woman tearfully asked as they drove away from the airport and headed towards the dying city.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital instead?" the woman asked as she ran her hand through her hair and contemplated her assistants fate.

"I'm not naive. I saw the news reports and the co-pilot's dead body. I touched him before the pilot told me he was dead. He was clammy and cold. I'm scared," the young woman cried tearfully as the car wound through the abandoned vehicles and dead bodies littering the once bustling city streets.

"I'm so sorry. I'm at a loss for what else to say, except thank you for all your help. You have been an amazing assistant these past five years," the woman said as she looked at her assistant and noticed bloody tears falling down her cheeks.

"Please don't thank me," the young woman said, "As your assistant, I learned a lot. You gave me the best shot I could have ever had. Are you going to continue searching for your girlfriend?"

"Yes. I need to find her," the woman said as she realized the infection was not limited to humans. Animals were dying off; winged, four-legged, domestic, and wild were joining their human counterparts on the long black train.

In Sendai,

A tall woman with long hair looked in the bathroom mirror.

"Oh hell, when did I become my mother?" she jokingly remarked to her reflection.

She opened her locker, removed her lab coat, and hung it on the hook inside. Sighing deeply, she took off her glasses and tossed them on the small shelf inside. Looking into the small mirror hanging on the inside of her locker door, she expertly inserted her contacts as she prepared to go home. During work, she chose to wear her glasses for convenience and safety. For the long drive home on her motorcycle, she put in her contacts for comfort in her helmet.

With the news of the spreading infection, she kept in contact with her loving partner. The two women made sure to keep all channels of communication open. Currently, the only form of communication available is telephone landlines, since all mobile services are now either unavailable or extremely unreliable. The drive home was an obstacle course as she wound her way through the litter of accidents, abandoned vehicles, the dead and dying bodies; both human and animal.

'_So this is how it ends,'_ the woman thought as she pulled into the driveway and parked her motorcycle next to her partner's luxury car in the carport, _'I wonder why now…the fifteenth anniversary of the Carnival.'_


	6. Zeta

**DISCLAIMER: **MaiHime and MaiOtome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my beta, as always, thank you. To my readers and lurkers, read, review, and enjoy as the ride ahead of us dips and turns.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Zeta**

Akira cried all night at the foot of Takumi's bed. She had been unable to move since finding his lifeless body, nearly three hours ago. With the descending darkness, Akira haphazardly pulled herself and the tattered remains of her heart together in order to ready Takumi's body for cremation, along with her soul.

Akira had not begun showing any signs of infection. Using the bloody bed sheet, she covered Takumi's bloody body and carried it to the bathroom. After cleaning all the blood off his body, Akira wrapped him in clean sheets. Outside, she could hear crying and breaking glass, but Akira did not care. She lovingly placed his wrapped body on the couch and proceeded to smash everything made of wood.

Akira tossed all the wood out the window and gathered the necessary material for Takumi's funeral pyre. She picked up her supplies, Takumi's body, and headed out the front door. She looked down and saw Takumi's mobile telephone with his keys in the usual place.

"Such a creature of habit," Akira muttered and grabbed his mobile telephone on the way out the door, locking it behind her.

She descended the stairs into darkness.

As Akira slowly approached her woodpile, she saw a couple of men stealing some of it. She quickly dropped everything in her arms, including Takumi's wrapped body, and ran to protect her wood.

"Get away from there! That's MINE!" Akira screamed.

The two men turned and stared at Akira. When realization hit them, they laughed and resumed stealing wood. Akira flew into the closest man with her leg extended. Her foot made a deadly accurate connection with the man's head, breaking his neck and sending him reeling to the ground. Akira landed on her feet and turned to attack the second thief. He dropped all the wood in his arms, except for one, which he nervously held up as a weapon. Akira smiled menacingly.

"If you're smart, you'll leave now," Akira snarled.

The man looked at his companion, dead on the ground, and then at Akira. Mustering all his bravado, the thief stood his ground. With a crazed look in her eyes, Akira locked eyes with the man and slowly walked backwards to where she dropped everything. Never taking her eyes off the man, she knelt down and picked up the bottle of Suntory Hibiki. One of Takumi's grateful patients gave it to him. He had been saving the expensive blended whiskey for a special occasion. Along with the bottle, Akira picked up the Zippo lighter she found in the apartment.

"The little girl wants to have a drink with me?" the man asked arrogantly.

Akira smiled darkly and slowly walked towards the man. When she got within striking distance of him, she swiftly swung and smashed the bottle against his head, sending him sprawling onto the woodpile.

"What the hell!" the man yelled as he cradled the side of his head.

Smiling insanely, Akira struck the Zippo lighter and looked affectionately into the flame.

"PLEASE…NO!" the man pleaded.

Akira smiled and threw the lighter onto the man. The fire grew quickly. Akira retrieved Takumi's body. She sat next to the raging fire, rocking back and forth on her heels. Akira stared into the dying embers, lost in her madness, her mind locked on Takumi. The biting cold of the night air jolted Akira out of her reverie.

"Good-bye."

Picking up Takumi's mobile telephone, Akira stood up and went back to her car. She started the drive out of Tokyo. Akira knew she needed to inform Mai of Takumi's fate, but with her mind now mired in darkness, she just drove. Half a block away from Takumi's, she came upon three men in the middle of the street brandishing weapons and firing aimlessly at dead bodies. Without a second thought, Akira hit the accelerator and drove over two of the idiots, even as they fired into her windshield.

The third man ran for cover behind a car and watched as Akira continued to drive over the bodies of his two friends. In her fragile state of mind, Akira never realized she had taken two bullets. Two hours later, on her way out of Tokyo, Akira lost consciousness and drove her car into the side of a building, joining Takumi in the next life.

Fuka Gakuen,

Nearly fifteen minutes after their arrival, Fumi left Mai and Mikoto to settle in while she drove out to get Shiho and her two children, because neither Fuka's driver nor Yukariko were in any shape to take another drive, even a short one to the Fuka Shrine. Yukariko quickly went to her room and lay down on the bed. She was coughing violently, due to the thick congestion deep in her lungs and was beginning to sweat as her body temperature climbed.

Once settled in, Mikoto went to check on Yukariko, concerned by the woman's declining health and semi-catatonic demeanor. Upon entering the room, Mikoto realized she was not alone in the room with Yukariko. Without turning her head, she looked at the darkened corner of the room and tried to focus on the woman sitting in the chair by the window.

"Where's your other half? I would have thought you'd be planted firmly to her side in all this mess," the woman said.

"Hi, Nao," Mikoto said to the darkness, recognizing the sarcastic voice.

Nao Yuuki had been waiting for Fumi and Yukariko to return, since she arrived at the school while the two women were out picking up Mai and Mikoto from Tsukimori. Upon her arrival, Nao found Sakomizu and Naname Ishigami and Sakomizu told her to find a room. The redhead almost immediately recognized Naname, since she was an exact replica of her mother Yukariko, with the exception of the dark hair she and her sister Wakaba shared with their father.

"So are you going to rest or round up strays?" Nao asked as she walked over to Yukariko's bed to make sure she was still alive.

"Mikoto how's Sister…," Mai began, but stopped short when she saw the former delinquent and former novitiate nun standing at Yukariko's bedside, "Nao."

"That's Detective Yuuki to you, Tokiha," Nao retorted with a half-smile, very similar to the evil sneer she constantly wore during their years as students.

Nao flashed the badge attached to the waistband of her pants and nearly laughed at Mai's surprised expression.

"Detective Yuuki…? Who did you bribe at the academy?" Mai replied as she recovered from the initial shock, "Is that badge even real?"

"The police academy in the United States welcomed me with open arms, but I got the badge in my last box of Pocky," Nao sarcastically replied as she moved a strand of hair from Yukariko's face and then turned to leave the room, stiffening as she passed between Mai and Mikoto.

"Surprising…" Mai softly muttered as she watched Nao exit the room.

"Not really…" Mikoto nonchalantly replied as she looked at Yukariko and then Mai, exiting the room behind Nao.

Mai sighed, looked at Yukariko, and then left after Mikoto, joining everyone in the search for the missing students.

**________________________________________________________________________**

In the wake of recent events here on FFN, with this author 'getacloset', I would like to applaud everyone for standing tall. To those of you angered by this, please do not feed into his hate by reviewing because you are giving him more ammo for his sick twisted needs. Your attention is what he/she wants…don't give it to this fool.

My heart and thoughts go out to all the authors referenced and hope that with the steady stream of abuse reports that this offensive author will soon be permanently banned.


	7. Eta

**DISCLAIMER: **MaiHime and MaiOtome are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my beta and at times co-author, thank you for all of your support and guidance. Now to you my readers and lurkers, read, review and let's continue on our journey.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Eta**

While Nao patrolled the school grounds for missing students, she recorded the location of each dead student for Sakomizu. All her years spent patrolling some of America's most dangerous streets thickened Nao's skin, so it didn't really shock her to find close to twelve dead students in the church. The academy faculty never considered looking in the church, since it was the least popular place for students. Nao went directly to the church first, because she wanted to see the old building. She had not seen the place in fifteen years, since the Suzushiro Corporation refurbished it. On her way to Fuka, Nao checked a few temples. The grand scale of death and decay she found at each was intense and powerfully overwhelming.

"I saw a pale horse and upon it a pale rider. Should've known," Nao said as she stood in the doorway of the now defunct church, frozen by the horrendous stench.

"For a moment, Nao, I would have sworn…oh geez…that's so bad. How can you stand that smell?" Mai asked as she walked up beside Nao in the doorway of the church.

"Take a good deep breath, Tokiha, it's everywhere you go now," Nao replied, resuming her usual flippant demeanor as she walked away, leaving the church doors open as she did, "Anything by the pool?"

"I ran into Mr. Sakomizu and Yukariko's daughter. They reported the school itself is done and everyone is going to be focusing on the back hill," Mai said as she tried to keep step with Nao.

"Her twin is by the front gate," Nao stated as she closed her small notepad and returned it to her jacket pocket.

"No one said anything…," Mai said stunned, "…maybe for Yukariko's sake. How did you know it was her daughter?" she asked, thinking of the young girl with Sakomizu.

"They are identical twins. From the look of it, she died recently. This is some strange shit, Tokiha," Nao replied, thinking about the Searrs rumors she had overheard at work, as she turned towards the Headmistress' garden.

Nao heard all the rumors numerous times since the Carnival. The wind was carrying the rancid scent of death in their direction and she hoped the garden would be a sweet change of smell, as well as scenery.

"Nao…?" Mai asked, trying to bring the redhead out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Do you think any of the others are…you know," Mai said sadly, looking at the sky towards the moon, where the HiME star once resided.

"Dead, just say dead, Tokiha. It doesn't have power, it's just a word. As for your question, I'd say yes, but who is the question?" Nao replied, turning to Mai and seeing the fear in her eyes. "Listen Tokiha, I think we will lose a lot of people before this is over…maybe me or you or even Mikoto…we aren't HiME anymore and the world is dying around us. Get use to it."

Mai broke down weeping in Nao's arms, thinking of how bad Yukariko looked and the numerous bodies they saw in the streets on the way to Fuka. Although they had not really gotten along during their years at Fuka, life had changed them both. After Nao made Detective, she changed considerably. She learned the living needed a strong presence for comfort and eventually Nao became that presence for so many people.

"Hey Tokiha, you're going to give Mikoto the wrong idea, burying your face so deep in my neck," Nao said trying to inject some humor into the moment, right before Mikoto rounded the corner and found them standing by the gazebo.

"Found you! Fumi is back with Shiho and her children. Shiho looks really sad," Mikoto said as she approached and saw Mai's tears shining in the slight moonlight, like slivers of silver on her cheeks.

"Mikoto…," Mai said and pulled away from Nao.

Mai ran to Mikoto, the woman she had spent the best years of her life with, "Just hold me, please?"

Mikoto didn't question Mai, because she had received a similar greeting from a distraught Shiho. Nao sat on the gazebo stairs and looked up towards the dimmed stars of the night sky. Off in the distance, Sakomizu's group shuffled by as they skirted the garden's edge, heading to the school's outlying perimeter with Naname and two other teachers in tow. Nao's back straightened and her ears perked up when she heard the distant whopping choppy noise getting louder as it got closer. She and Mikoto mouthed the word 'helicopter'. Mikoto's shoulder was soaked with Mai's tears. The distraught woman almost choked Mikoto with the strength of her desperate hug. As the red, black, and white helicopter dropped down in the sports field, all three decided to head that way.

'_Now who could this be?' all three women thought as they quickly made for the sports field._

In Sendai,

For over two weeks, Shizuru Fujino had more contact with Yukino Kikukawa and Chie Harada than she ever previously had, even during their years at Fuka. She even joked to Natsuki it felt like they were relatives preparing for a visit. Chie Harada and Aoi Senoh owned a small local paper in Osaka. Aoi handled most of the business side, while Chie remained active in the field as an International reporter. In college, Aoi and Yukino found themselves in most of the same classes together and ended up becoming close friends. After graduation, they stayed close, consulting each other and the other former HiME from time to time, in matters large and small.

Everyone was sure Shizuru would attend University in Japan, in order to remain close to Natsuki, but she surprised everyone, except Natsuki, when she left Japan to attend college in the United States. It had been Natsuki's choice to attend the University of Berkeley to study Biochemistry, which convinced Shizuru to accept Stanford University's invitation to study Business. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area of California afforded both women the freedom to explore their sexual orientation, something they could never do in patriarchal Japan. Being under an hour away from each other, they saw each other nearly every weekend, allowing them to develop their relationship.

After graduation from the second top ranked business college, Shizuru started her own business. She became the top corporate event planner in Japan. Her list of clientele was the "Who's Who" of Japan. Shizuru would travel all over Japan, sometimes spending a week or two away from home. She never forgot her former HiME sisters and utilized their skills whenever possible. All press releases went through Aoi's newspaper. Most of the catering contracts went to Mai's catering company, unless a client insisted on a different caterer. All contracting work went to the Suzushiro Corporation, through Yukino, its youngest Vice President. Over the years, mainly thanks to Yukino's concerted efforts, Haruka now treated Shizuru as a business ally, rather than a rival.

Recently, Shizuru received a request to arrange a banquet and press conference for the returning scientists and reporters who would be attending the Searrs Convention in the United States. Dealing with the Searrs Corporation gave Shizuru an uneasy feeling, so she made sure she kept business very public and never dealt with these people alone. Everything Shizuru heard over the last two weeks set her on edge. She kept close contact with Natsuki, concerned by everything she heard at work and everything Chie told Natsuki, which Shizuru managed to overhear in bits and pieces. Whatever information Chie was feeding Natsuki sent the former HiME off on another quest, which kept her at work late into the night at the former First District medical research facility.

Although they rarely kept secrets from each other, Natsuki refused to discuss what she was doing at work, citing it was better if Shizuru didn't know. In all their years together, Shizuru never questioned Natsuki. None of the material she received gave her any insight into exactly what had her partner and their friends so concerned, because all of her business with Searrs had been on a very professional level. Shizuru sat on the sofa with a cup of warm tea, lost deep in thought, awaiting Natsuki's nightly call from work. Natsuki's late nights at work and the disquieting news broadcasted on all forms of media, prompted Shizuru and Natsuki to start calling each other every two hours. Natsuki talked while she worked and hung up only when she needed the quiet to think. Their last telephone call had been close to five hours ago and Natsuki seemed very excited, but concerned and told Shizuru she would be home soon to explain everything. With each passing hour after sunset, Shizuru became very concerned with Natsuki's late homecoming.

Natsuki wanted to be sure Chie's information had some sound basis in fact, because the rumor mill at work was the size of Fuka Gakuen and Natsuki didn't want any part of it, but it was quickly becoming something she couldn't ignore. Some of Chie's information troubled Natsuki a great deal, because of Shizuru's business dealings with the Searrs Foundation over the years. The past two weeks were hell for the couple, because Natsuki would leave for work before Shizuru woke, return home exhausted and too stressed out to talk. They would shower together, in order for Shizuru to help Natsuki relax, and then retire to bed. Lately, they did nothing more than hold one another close, as the hours lead to Natsuki's mad dash for work in the early hours before dawn.

Two days ago, as the world continued to die around them, Natsuki worked late into the night researching the various forms of the initial infection. She was amazed and frustrated by the infection's rapid metamorphosis, which allowed it to kill so many in different ways. Natsuki felt there had to be a connection somewhere to Searrs, she was certain she would find it with enough time and the right tools.

When her mounting anxiety finally crested, Shizuru grabbed her car keys and prepared to maneuver the road out to Natsuki's facility. Before Shizuru could open the door to the garage, she heard Natsuki's Ducati pulling in. Relief washed over her and Shizuru buried her face in her hands.

"Shizuru…? Shizuru…I'm ho…," Natsuki said as she walked in the house.

As soon as Shizuru saw Natsuki, she wrapped her arms around her partner's neck and kissed her deeply, cutting Natsuki's sentence short. Shizuru silently promised under no circumstances would they ever part again.


	8. Theta

**DISCLAIMER: **Thank you Sunrise for bringing us the MaiHime series. Thanks also to Hideyuki Kurata and Aniplex for the R.O.D. series.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **To my beta, yurianimeotaku, my koi thank you for smoothing out the rough spots and sharing this ride with me.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Theta**

Somewhere in the Nevada desert,

As the transport vehicle moved through the barren land, the driver pondered his fate, as well as the fate of his _precious_ cargo. He growled to himself when he thought of how the Searrs people manipulated him into taking this job. If the mercenary retrieved something from China and delivered it safely to them, they promised his daughter's safety, which was always just the right motivation for him. So far, the job had already taxed most of his fuel and patience.

"I swear they better have kept their word about Maggie," the large blonde man growled at the windshield as he thought of his daughter.

When the Searrs Corporation promised to keep his daughter Maggie healthy and safe during the current global health crisis, in exchange for his _special_ services, Drake wasn't going to argue over money. The shady corporation arranged for all of his transport needs and any expenses necessary to retrieve the _package_ from Inner Mongolia. With the map unwound on the seat beside him, Drake scanned the barren desert before him and groaned.

'_Just where the hell did those Searrs idiots send me?'_ he wondered.

The desert before him was as barren as the distance he'd traveled so far during this job. The afternoon sun was high in the sky. Ahead, Drake saw shimmering water to the left of the approaching mountainside, which he chalked up as a desert mirage. The closer he got, Drake realized the shimmering effect remained, even though there were no bodies of water for miles.

'_Jeez, these guys are as bad as the British Library,' _he thought as he drove the transport through the illusionary boundary.

Looming ahead of him was a large facility surrounded by lush green grass. The parking areas were sparsely populated.

"This is just unreal and too creepy," Drake mumbled, as he got closer to the facility.

A slight shiver went down Drake's normally unshakeable spine when he saw his 'welcoming committee.' A full complement of armed men dressed in military gear; along with two men in full biohazard gear were waiting for Drake and his cargo. He did not like this one damn bit and started to rethink his situation. Slamming the transport into reverse, he swiftly headed back in the direction he came. A disembodied voice blasted over the speaker system:

"Mr. Anderson, return to the loading platform immediately! Your daughter is waiting for you."

Drake slammed on the brakes and pondered the smarmy bastard's words carefully. He thought back to four days ago, when he left his daughter Maggie with these bastards. She tried so hard not to cough while she hugged his neck. In his recent travels, Drake had seen more death and ruin then during his many years of military service.

Drake yelled out the window, "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Return to the loading platform Mr. Anderson. I will NOT ask you again," was the curt response.

Drake felt hot tears welling up in his eyes as he remembered what Maggie whispered in his ear, before releasing his neck. He mentally kicked himself for trusting these covert types, because deep down, he knew they would double-cross him; these types always do.

"BASTARDS!" Drake yelled out, "YOU BROKE OUR CONTRACT!"

Anger and hate surged through Drake's body as he gripped the steering wheel. He stared at the loading platform and the men still standing on it. Slowly, he felt down for his trusty sidearm strapped to his hip. He flicked off the safety and glanced up into the rear view mirror at the cargo box in the back.

Drake pulled out his gun and crushed the accelerator to the floor, returning to the loading platform as instructed. Bullets echoed all around him in the transport. One shattered the windshield, sending glass everywhere. Drake grinned like a man gone mad and began firing at the men on the platform.

"Tell the Devil he owes me!" Drake yelled as his bullets easily found their targets.

The transport crashed into the loading platform and nearly sent Drake flying out the front. Unfortunately, he forgot to release his seat belt and it performed as designed to…a little too well, because the force on impact snapped his neck like a toothpick. He died instantly.

Drake managed to kill most of the initial team sent to greet him. The second Searrs team had to climb over dead bodies and wreckage to retrieve the cargo for the waiting scientists. The team had to pry the transport door open. They found the cargo box smashed upon impact, but the metal container inside looked intact.

"Is it damaged?" asked the same curt voice heard earlier over the speaker.

"It doesn't look to be, sir."

"Get it to the lab immediately and clean this up," John Smith ordered from behind the team.

In the wake of the HiME Carnival, Smith returned to the United States a shamed man for his failure. This appointment was a demotion for the man and it was humiliating for him, at first. Through his contacts in Japan and here in the United States, he had taken his humiliation and turned it into success once more, as he managed the agents shadowing the former HiME and the creation of the genetic bio-toxin decimating the population of the planet.

"Be careful this time! I don't want a repeat performance of what happened with the last shipment," Smith curtly reminded them as he exited the loading area, leaving the men to struggle with the equipment to move the latest shipment.

Entering his office, Smith was still worried about the safety of this latest shipment. The last shipment, the remains of The Kurauchi couple sustained damaged during unloading. He did not want the same thing to happen with the remains of Yuuichi Tate. Scattered on his desk were the reports on the former HiME and their most recent whereabouts. Some of these girls became very high profile individuals, making the task of following them easier. For those who still worked at Fuka Gakuen, Smith sent in an undercover agent under the guise of a teacher. The most recent satellite transmission from this agent confirmed the status of seven former HiME currently on the school grounds.

Smith was irritated with his agent in Sendai, because he had not received any updates and had to send another agent, so he could get a status report on the two former HiME living there. He also had to send two agents to locate the suddenly elusive Yukino Kikukawa. The Suzushiro Corporation Vice President scheduled four different flights across Japan and Smith had just enough time to secure the resources to follow only two of them. Unfortunately, both of them turned out to be decoys and this riled Smith. He saw this as another sign of failure.

Later that evening, Smith was pleased when he received arrival confirmation of the errant Alyssa Searrs, her daughter, and Miyu at Fuka Gakuen.

"That's it ladies, return to the familiar surroundings and safety of the school. That leaves three more," Smith snickered and folded his hands in front of his face, sure he would have the upper hand this time around.

Smith pondered just how much trouble those women could be without their HiME powers as he gave the orders for full troop mobilization and readied himself to return to Japan.


	9. Iota

**DISCLAIMER: **The characters are Sunrise property. "Return to Me" - Music by Carmen Lombardo, lyrics by Danny DiMinno, and sung by Dean Martin.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Take out your hankies for this one…To my sweet koi, my beta, as always my love and thanks. Read, enjoy, and review…and forgive the author, especially if you YouTube the song for Chie and Aoi.

**BETA'S NOTES: **After betaing this chapter, I highly recommend grabbing a roll of paper towels, because tissues are not going to be enough..

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Iota**

Normally, whenever Yukino allowed Haruka to drive through the streets of Tokyo, it gave the young executive a serious headache. The entire time Haruka drove, she usually complained about safety, driver etiquette, and the necessity for stricter traffic laws and enforcement. This was the primary reason Yukino usually insisted on company drivers for all their trips. Since the world began dying around them, Haruka had been uncharacteristically silent behind the wheel.

The two exhausted young executives had been going non-stop with very little sleep for well over thirty-six hours, since their arrival home from the United States.

"Yukino, why aren't you sleeping?" Haruka asked as she pulled their car around the third pile of twisted metal in the middle of the road.

"It's hard to sleep, Haruka. Aoi's last call, before the lines went dead, didn't sound too good. With everything we've seen over the past few days…," Yukino said and gasped.

"Yukino, what is it?" Haruka asked.

"Oh Haruka…stop next to that car," Yukino said and pointed to a small car embedded into the side of a building.

"Yukino, we don't have time to stop," Haruka replied with irritation in her voice, as she reluctantly stopped the car in the middle of the street.

Yukino slowly exited the car and did her best to stand on her weak legs. They were shaking violently and felt as if all the blood drained to her feet. Doing her best to ignore the knot tightening in her stomach, Yukino mustered all her courage and quickly made her way to the small wreckage. She silently prayed, for the second time since they reached this district of Tokyo, for another false alarm.

Haruka stormed out of the car and kept a keen vigil on Yukino and their surroundings. Since entering Tokyo, more than once, people nearly attacked their car. Earlier, Haruka made a hard decision. She didn't want to, but the men were armed. One looked sick and the other had an evil sneer on his face. Haruka thought they were hiding a third man and fearing for Yukino's safety, she reluctantly mowed the two men over. She winced as she looked at the reminder of that incident and ran her hand over the bullet holes in the driver's side rear panel. Haruka looked over at Yukino and suddenly ran to her side.

Yukino was sobbing so hard, her stomach refused to heave. Haruka gently wrapped her strong arms around her sobbing partner. When Yukino felt Haruka's arms, her body began shaking. Haruka whispered soft malapropisms in Yukino's ear, hoping to soothe her. Over the years, they worked very hard to get rid of them.

Haruka looked into the driver's seat of the small vehicle and shook her head, even through the early decay and damage from the accident; it was easy to see the driver was Akira Okuzaki, young Takumi Tokiha's fiancée and one of the former HiME. Haruka wrapped her arm around Yukino's shoulders and gently led her back to their car. As they walked, Yukino rested her head on Haruka and it became clear to her that even the HiME were susceptible to this last attack on humanity.

As they started out of Tokyo, Haruka saw Yukino praying through her tears.

"I doubt there's anyone listening," Haruka muttered to herself, as she thought of the road ahead and the need to get to Sendai.

Elsewhere in Japan,

Since she left the airport, the investigative reporter had been traveling to get home. Her memory of everything she saw at the temple haunted her. It was her assistant's dying request to stop at the temple. The horrendous memory seared her soul.

"Please let Aoi be safe…please," Chie Harada softly pleaded to whatever deity was still listening, although she really didn't hold out much hope, having lost a good amount of it back at the temple.

When they arrived at the temple, Chie's assistant told her to leave her behind and drive home to Aoi, but Chie balked at this and helped her assistant up the temple stairs, past the dead and dying bodies. As they reached the last few stairs, Chie realized the scope of this disaster. Dead littered the entire plaza of the temple. Scattered amongst them, were a few living souls, crying over the dead and praying to join them.

On the last stair, her assistant lost her stomach and with the last of her strength, pushed Chie away. Her fight was over and she implored Chie to rush home to Aoi, as fast as the car could take her.

Chie bid her assistant thanks and goodbye in tearful agony. She ran down the temple stairs and lost her stomach at the bottom, as heat flushed her body and Aoi's safety filled her heart.

"Please be safe."

At Fuka Gakuen,

As the wind from the helicopter rotors subsided, Nao and Mai joined the others gathered to meet the helicopter's occupants. As she watched Midori climb out of the cockpit of the large helicopter, Nao wanted to laugh at the sight before her. The young redhead watched Youko come around and join Midori.

As the two older women stood greeting everyone, Midori gazed proudly at the strong young woman Nao Yuuki had become and remembered the road the former delinquent took to get here…

After she graduated from Japan's National Police Academy, Nao realized her entire career in law enforcement would consist of being a glorified paper pusher, meter maid, or worse…a stepping-stone for her male counterparts' advancement, so she left Japan for the United States. She wanted to make a real difference.

Midori was the only one who wasn't surprised when Nao quickly made Detective I and became one of the youngest detectives in her division. The older redhead loved the irony and on the day Nao got her detective's badge, Midori sent her a Green Ranger plushy and a picture of the HiME Sentai with the following inscription on the back:

'_Congratulations, Nao. Take a look outside your window.'_

Nao looked out her window and saw Midori in the park across from her apartment complex. She was dressed in a simple black skirt and white blouse. Nao blushed at the realization Midori secretly attended her promotion ceremony. Midori was smiling and waving a congratulatory sign. Nao laughed and as she waved for Midori to come over, a truck passed in front of the window. When the truck was gone, so was Midori.

When Nao finally learned to reign in her impulsiveness by turning it towards creative good, she made Detective III and became the youngest one in the United States.

As Midori smiled at Nao, the memory of why she and Youko decided to become international adventure guides and Nao Yuuki became even more determined to become a 'long arm of the law,' struck her. Midori shuddered.

After Midori returned from her last trip with Professor Sasaki, she decided to return to University and finish her studies, because during this last trip, Midori realized she wanted something more from life and it included Youko. She convinced Youko to return to University as well, however, it was not as easy as she first thought. Youko was difficult to convince…at first.

Midori thought they would be a perfect pair out amongst the ruins, but Youko's sense of adventure centered on a laboratory, not ancient ruins. While Midori finished her doctorate in Ancient History, Youko pursued her dream of a becoming a doctor and accepted an internship with a prestigious medical laboratory.

After getting her doctorate in Ancient History, Midori's thirst for adventure returned with a vengeance, landing her in the ultimate adventure…she started an adventure tour business. Purely by accident, while Midori was getting her business started, she began to discover unsettling facts about the Searrs Corporation and the former HiME.

It started with the disappearance of Nao's mother, while Nao was still at the police academy in the United States. Midori felt it would be safer for Nao to remain in the United States and she didn't want the youngster leaving the police academy prematurely, so she promised the young redhead she would head the search with the same determination she led the HiME Sentai. Midori had an extremely difficult time convincing Nao to remain at the police academy, but even though Nao had her doubts, she promised to finish her studies at the police academy and reluctantly put her trust in Midori.

During Midori's investigation, she discovered Nao's mother wasn't the only thing missing. All of the mother's medical records were missing as well. The further Midori dug, the more she began to realize the importance of getting away from the reach of Searrs and the remnants of the First District. With Natsuki Kuga's help and contacts, Midori found out while Searrs publicly left the former HiME alone, they were covertly hunting down every former HiME and their most important people.

Midori worked very hard to convince the former HiME of the danger, however, no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to convince all of the others to go into hiding.

Yukino Kikukawa was one of the few who listened. She and Midori agreed the former HiME who would not go into hiding, needed to become so important that their absence would be suspicious. Although not all of the former HiME willingly cooperated with Midori and Yukino, they covertly kept watch over as many as possible.

One day, Youko informed Midori she recently saw new people at the laboratory and they had such a high security clearance, they even kept the head of the laboratory in the dark about their project and its focus.

After that discovery, Youko no longer felt safe in the laboratory and one day she accidentally ran into one of the new high clearance researchers transporting samples.

'_Biological?'_ Youko thought as her stomach clenched and anxiety set in.

Youko immediately gathered up her belongings and left work. She remembered all of Midori's secret endeavors and in her distracted state; she accidently drove through the security checkpoint without stopping.

When Youko arrived at the apartment she and Midori shared, she had a feeling she was being watched. She quickly ran into the safety of the apartment. Once inside, Youko was shocked to find the place pitch dark. As she reached to turn on a light, a hand stopped her. Before she could scream, another hand covered her mouth.

"Quiet," Midori whispered in Youko's ear, as she guided Youko to the small sofa she positioned beside the well-shrouded window of their apartment.

"You've got ten seconds to tell me what is going on, Midori," Youko said sternly, as she sat down, trying to get her anxiety to dissipate.

"We're leaving in the morning, when there are more people to blend in with," Midori said and resumed her watch out the small opening in the shrouded window.

"That's not an explanation," Youko reprimanded and grabbed Midori's arm.

"The trail to Nao's mother's disappearance led straight to your lab. Yamada told Kuga he wouldn't work for her anymore, because it was too dangerous…even more than the work he'd done for her during the Carnival," Midori responded, focusing her concerned hyper alert gaze upon Youko, trying to keep her tone even, so she wouldn't scare her.

"He also told Natsuki they have been tracking each of us, Youko. They have been collecting blood and/or tissue samples whenever possible from doctor and hospital visits. You and I have been lucky, since we haven't had any recent trips to doctors or hospitals," Midori said as she thanked Kami for their sheer luck.

"You…_and I_?" Youko asked puzzled.

Midori spoke before she thought, "Yes. They are collecting samples from all the former HiME and their most important people."

"Then shouldn't you be warning Professor Sasaki?" Youko asked.

Midori realized her mistake and stared into Youko's eyes. Her brain quickly assessed the situation and she resigned herself to whatever happened next.

"No," Midori answered and then asked, "Why are you home early?"

Youko stared at Midori, blinked a few times, and then spoke, "I ran into one of the high clearance researchers today. She was pushing a cart full of blood racks, a lot of culture trays, and a small cooler normally used for organ transportation, heading for their section of the lab. Her expression was cold and blank like Miyu Greer's used to be."

Usually not easily shaken, Youko was now visibly shaken and looking to Midori for support. Midori still wasn't sure where they were going, but she knew _who_ they would be going to see.

Midori felt Youko's hand brush her arm and the memory dissipated, bringing her back to the present.

"It's good to see you again," Nao said in her mocking tone.

"I couldn't stay…we booked a tour and I had to get back to the airport. I just wanted you to know how happy and proud I was of you," Midori said, as she tried to think of how to express her condolences for Nao's mom.

"Why an adventure tour guide?" Mai asked, as the small group headed towards the Headmistress' Mansion.

"She's never been able to keep still, and thanks to her archaeological studies, it was the only thing that made sense," Youko replied, looking rather healthy and a little tan.

Nobody could argue with Youko on that point and Midori just cracked a sheepish smile. On the way to the mansion, Midori paired off with Nao to get brought up to speed on the current situation.

When they arrived at the Headmistress' mansion, the atmosphere was somber and Shiho greeted the group.

"Yukariko passed away," Shiho informed the group and went to look in on her children. Jin, Shiho's son, began showing signs of sickness right before Fumi arrived.

"No surprise there," Nao deadpanned and followed Shiho to check on her.

"Mai, Mai," Mikoto pulled on her arm, trying to get her attention, "Fumi…"

For Midori, being in the mansion brought back memories of her dealings with Mashiro Kazahana and with Mikoto in this place. Hearing Fumi's name brought Midori out of her reverie and she shook off the memory.

As they made their way to the rooms Fumi prepared for them, they ran into her in the hallway, staring out one of the large windows into the night.

"I'll help as long as I can," Fumi weakly smiled. She had her arms wrapped around her and her pallor stood out, even in the moonlight. Youko took notice of the wet spots on Fumi's suit, but she didn't see them slowly getting larger.

On the journey to Osaka,

After leaving the temple, Chie drove as long as she could, until numerous wrecked cars and felled trees blocked her path. She climbed over the obstacle and found a bicycle half a mile up the road, seven hours into her journey home. Running low on energy, she begged whatever deity had yet to abandon humanity to give her the strength to get to the newspaper office she and Aoi owned.

Chie reached the newspaper office about eleven hours after leaving the temple. When she saw Aoi's car was still in the parking lot, she felt revitalized and sprinted to the main doors. Although it had not been the first time Chie came across the dead, the dead bodies scattered in the lobby startled her.

Three journalists and a lone security guard had died in various areas of the lobby, two by the Help Desk. Chie wanted to scream and cry, but knew she needed to conserve what little strength she had left in order to reach the top floor of the building.

It was Aoi's idea to convert the top floor of the building into an apartment suite. She felt it would help the younger and more ambitious employees whenever they needed a place to sleep. Chie loved the idea. After completion, she loved the large apartment Aoi designed so much; she decided to make it their primary home. Aoi turned a couple of the offices on the floor below into sleeping quarters for the staff.

As soon as Chie stepped off the elevator, she heard the soft melody Aoi would always have playing upon Chie's return home. The soft strains of Dean Martin's 'Return to Me' always held special memories for them. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her heart thundered in her chest, as every homecoming prior to this one flashed before her eyes.

'_Sweet Aoi…,'_ Chie thought as she entered their home.

The lingering scent of sickness permeated throughout the apartment. Chie's normally keen senses, even dulled by exhaustion, picked it up and made her wince from the stench. She found Aoi lying on their large couch, listening to their song repeatedly, as she awaited Chie's return. She dashed to Aoi's side, fear gripping her heart, and rooting in her stomach.

Feeling Chie beside her, Aoi opened her eyes and weakly smiled, "You finally made it home."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Chie whispered softly, as she pulled Aoi's limp body into her arms.

"Never…," Aoi whispered weakly, her body racked by a deep congested hacking cough, sending pain throughout her entire body.

"It's okay honey, you don't need to talk right now, I understand," Chie softly reassured as she got up and brought a cool, damp cloth to wash Aoi's hot sweaty face and neck.

Chie realized Aoi barely registered the cold cloth touching her body and bit back the tears threatening to overwhelm her.

"Chie, I'm not stupid. Please don't hold back your tears on my account," Aoi said, as another round of coughs racked her body.

The look of pain on her beloved's beautiful face was finally too much and Chie started to cry. She scooped Aoi up in her arms and carried her to their bedroom. Chie stripped off Aoi's clothes; which were wet with sweat and blood, cleaned her body, dressed her open sores, gingerly got Aoi into a clean nightgown, and laid her in bed. After cleaning up, Chie returned, and dressed for bed.

Chie slid in next to Aoi. She felt the searing heat coming off her best friend and loving partner like a wave. Despite the heat, Chie pulled Aoi close and gently stroked her hair away from her face.

Chie lovingly whispered in her beloved's ear, "I would pull a star from the night sky and etch upon its face. I would then send it back with my loving declaration...Your beauty, your wit, your brains, and all there is, spark a fire in my heart and soul. I would trace them every night, watching lovers do the same, and struggle through every day, though I would be content, because I had shared this just with you. Know my heart seeks to be enrapt in your loving embrace, my eyes comforted by your beauty, my arms and legs desire to be wrapped with yours, this moment, our forever," as the sickness claimed Aoi Senoh.

Chie softly kissed Aoi's lips for the last time.


	10. Kappa

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **My love, my beta, my co-author, as always my thanks and love for your help and support. Read, enjoy, and review.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Kappa**

An extremely despondent Chie Harada left her now deceased beloved where she passed and walked into their living room. She stared up at the wall display she saw many times, but never looked at. Her tear ducts were now bone dry, but her body still convulsed in grief.

"I'm **so** sorry I left you."

As if in a trance, she reached up and removed the tanto from the rack. Chie lethargically returned to the bedroom and sat down on the bed next to Aoi.

Chie looked at Aoi and said, "I love you. I shall soon return to you."

She stared at the tanto blade in her hands and slowly slid the blade from the lacquer sheath. The highly polished blade menacingly glinted. Chie shifted onto her knees and positioned herself for the ritual. She brought the blade up, forward, and down, but didn't feel any pain. She repeated this motion several more times, but still didn't feel any pain.

"I can't! I can't! I'm a damn coward! I'm SO sorry Aoi!" Chie broke down and sobbed on Aoi's body.

Three days later, the scent of decomposition woke Chie. She lifted herself off Aoi and looked at her deceased partner. Strangely, Aoi's body was decaying at an unusually rapid rate. Chie remembered what Yukino told her about the effects of the virus on the human body.

"_So far, what we __**do**__ know…and we don't know much…is the virus mutates in each victim, so it's nearly impossible to track. It hits each individual differently."_

Chie stared at the tanto blade still clutched in her hand and softly apologized to Aoi again. She remembered the gathering at Fuka and got out of bed with a renewed purpose. Looking around the bedroom, a thought dawned on Chie. She opened Aoi's closet and pulled out the Senoh family chest. Chie pulled out Aoi's father's yukata embroidered with their family kumon.

Aoi's family was descended from the samurai. The tanto Chie held in her hands was from the set passed down through Aoi's family. Much to Mr. Senoh's disappointment, a daughter was his only heir, so right before his death, he reluctantly handed down the family heirlooms, in hopes of Aoi bearing a male heir.

Chie knew the full yukata would be impractical for the rough travel ahead, so she used the tanto to remove the lower half. She stripped off her soiled clothing. From the dresser inside Aoi's closet, Chie grabbed undergarments and put them on. She pulled down one of Aoi's dress shirts hanging in the closet and slipped it on. Aoi's scent still lingered on it and a tear rolled down Chie's cheek. She pulled a pair of slacks from her own dresser and put it on. Chie slipped on Mr. Senoh's yukata and tied it up. She returned to the living room and pulled down the remaining two blades. She slipped them into her waistband and began preparing for her journey to Fuka.

Chie covered Aoi's remains and went from room to room, destroying all the sprinkler heads. In the master control room for the building, she turned off all emergency fire functions and returned to the apartment.

From the kitchen, Chie pulled out several bottles of alcohol and poured their contents all over the apartment. Back in their bedroom, Chie threw a few days worth of her own clothing into a backpack and grabbed the emergency suitcase from the closet. At the onset of the virus, Aoi insisted they put an emergency suitcase together, just in case they had to evacuate the apartment for several days.

Chie knelt down at Aoi's bedside and took her hand, "Aoi, I love you. I promise we'll be together again."

She kissed Aoi's hand and realized their song was still playing in the background, its melody once so welcoming, now haunted Chie, yet she could not bring herself to turn off the stereo.

Chie piled every photo album and other shared memorabilia on the bed next to Aoi's body. She slipped one photo into her pocket, spread newspaper over Aoi's body, and struck a match. Chie stood in the doorway of their bedroom, watching the flames engulf the room. She threw a kiss to Aoi and headed into the living room. Chie struck several more matches before heading out the front door. On her way out, she grabbed Aoi's car keys from the key rack next to the front door.

As Chie rode the elevator down to the lobby, she thought of Fuka and her friends gathered there.

On the road to Sendai,

"Yukino, I understand why you wanted to travel like this, but why the tea loving former Kaichou and her pup chose to live in Sendai is beyond me," Haruka grumbled tersely from the passenger seat.

"Haruka, please, let's not start that again, especially while _I'm_ driving," Yukino replied a bit exasperated, as she drove the second car they procured around a pile up heading into Sendai.

Yukino had to drive this newly acquired vehicle, because it had a manual transmission and Haruka nearly stripped every single gear trying to drive it. Between working for Mashiro Kazahana and serving as Haruka's second on the Fuka Executive Committee, Yukino was very adept at working in secret for many years and well prepared for what lay ahead for all the former HiME.

Inside the Searrs Compound in Nevada,

Reito Kanzaki almost screamed upon opening his eyes, as the harsh lighting in the small room burned his now sensitive retinas. His thoughts drifted to his sister. He hadn't had contact with her for nearly a year. For most of that time, he was strapped to a bed in one cell or another. Searrs snatched Reito not long after his last visit with Mikoto and Mai.

He remembered waking up in his first cell somewhere in Japan and he was certain about the location, because he still had his clothes and expensive wristwatch. A quick check of the time confirmed only a few hours had passed.

Unbeknownst to Reito at the time, this first laboratory was where his hellish nightmare was to begin…

On Yukino's instructions, Reito, along with several of the other former HiME, made sure to maintain a high profile in the public eye. Yukino arranged for the 'Shinjitsu;' the newspaper owned by Chie and Aoi; to make sure his public appearances at high society functions were always well covered. Unfortunately, Reito was prone to bouts of anonymity for months at a time and unable to track. Little did anyone know, including his little sister Mikoto, Reito was having an affair with a woman who was married to an extremely powerful man within Searrs.

Reito looked at his once pristine body and cursed his existence. Through the manipulations of the Searrs' researchers, very little remained of the once handsome young bachelor. They were grafting skin, muscle tissue, and organ samples from him at least once a month, along with weekly blood draws. Recently, due to uncontrollable infections, Reito lost his entire left forearm and both legs last month. He wondered how this was possible in such a sterile environment.

He had tubes and monitors attached all over his body. The IV tube kept him hydrated and another tube administered pain medication. Every so often, one of the researchers would inject stimulants into one of the tubes. Sometimes, when Smith was in an especially sadistic mood, the researchers would inject various other fluids to see what would happen.

One evening, after a couple of new young lab technicians mistakenly administered a stimulant instead of Reito's nightly sedative, he overhead them discussing some recent errors made in the laboratory. The researchers discovered when they added Reito's DNA to a project they were currently working on, something went terribly wrong. Apparently, his DNA turned out to be the catalyst in the creation of an uncontrollable super virus. Once again, Searrs created something they could not control. Recent screw-ups by young, careless laboratory technicians set off numerous alarms around the clock. Even those half-wits knew the situation was slipping beyond control.

At Fuka Gakuen,

As Fumi arranged the collection of Yukariko and the other deceased, she felt Youko's unwavering eyes follow her every move. Youko focused her attention on the growing wet spots on Fumi's suit. With Fumi's permission, Youko pulled the bodies of Yukariko and her daughter, Wakaba, so she could study their remains and the rate of decomposition. Naname Ishigami, Yukariko's only surviving daughter, did what she thought her mother would want and allowed Youko to perform the tests on her mother's and sister's remains. Naname had the sniffles, but knew it was her allergies, which Youko confirmed; however, she didn't guarantee anything, since this young woman was the last living member of her family.

Fumi felt it prudent to cremate the dead as soon as possible, in order to stem the spread of infection. She was busily organizing the living to prepare for the mass cremation out on the athletic field when Youko asked to study the deceased before cremation. Youko gathered a wealth of information during her study. With Fumi's permission, she performed examinations on the living, so she could compare the similarities and differences. The school's limited medical and science facilities frustrated Youko as she catalogued her findings about the plague.

Midori and the others knew Youko's frustration reached critical level, because each person sent into her makeshift laboratory came running out soon afterwards. Midori knew how temperamental her partner got when frustrated, so she decided it was time to diffuse the matter.

One night, after Mai; the only person left on the Fuka Gakuen grounds who Youko didn't throw out of her makeshift laboratory; left the laboratory, Midori quietly slipped in to relax her stressed out partner.

"Youko, dear?" Midori whispered, as she wrapped her arms around Youko from behind.

"MIDORI!" Youko exclaimed and lightly pushed Midori's arms away, "I do NOT have time for this!"

"Make time," Midori kissed the special spot on the back of Youko's neck, instantly disarming her.

"Mi…do…ri," Youko moaned and leaned against Midori.

The next day, after Mai returned from delivering Youko's breakfast tray, she commented how cheerful Youko was this morning.

Alyssa Searrs and Miyu arrived soon after Yukariko's death and the clearing of the school grounds. As soon as Mai saw Alyssa's infant daughter, Alicia, she was gushing all over the baby.

"Alyssa…she looks just like…umm…Miyu?" Mai said surprised, "It must be my imagination."

Alyssa laughed and went to look in on Shiho and her children, since Shiho was the only other living parent among the former HiME. Shiho didn't say much, because she was worried about her son Jin, and his illness. Alyssa sat down next to Shiho and took her hand in silent support. They sat quietly watching the young boy's labored sleep.

After an hour, Alyssa left the room and returned to her daughter. Feelings of sadness and helplessness overwhelmed Alyssa.

Sakomizu entered Fumi's office in a huff after Youko threw a textbook at him for disturbing her.

"I tried to offer my help. I may not be a scientist or a doctor but…I figured any help…," the hefty man complained between coughs.

Fumi acknowledged his presence, but looked through him and said nothing. Sakomizu nodded and left.

Sakomizu leaned against Fumi's office door. He looked into the handkerchief he was using to cover his mouth. His eyes widened when he saw specks of blood now mixed with saliva and his heart sank. He knew it would not be long before he would be joining his friends on the athletic field.

Fumi collapsed into her desk chair. She gave Youko free reign, because she knew if anyone could help end this madness, Youko could. Midori would eventually have to assume the leadership once again. Fumi felt comforted by the knowledge she would be leaving Fuka in very capable hands.

In her lap, Fumi held a picture of Mashiro taken in the school garden during the early days of their relationship. Fumi cared for Mashiro on many levels and missed her guidance, especially now. While Fumi was quite intelligent and very capable, something inside her began slowly diminishing; the longer Mashiro was gone from her side. She hated the way life recently turned and was truly comforted by the fact she would soon see Mashiro again. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.

Later in the evening,

Midori entered Fumi's office, looking for the headmistress.

"Fumi?" Midori asked when she saw the woman sleeping in her desk chair.

Fumi didn't wake, so Midori repeated herself a bit louder. Fumi still didn't stir. Midori gently shook the sleeping woman and realization set in. She roughly wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Be at peace now. Say hello to Mashiro," Midori stroked the top of Fumi's head and left to find Youko.

Nearly a week later,

Alyssa volunteered her assistance to Youko, as did Miyu, but Youko declined Alyssa's offer. She told Alyssa it would be better for the young mother to care for her infant daughter. Miyu, on the other hand, proved to be an invaluable asset to Youko and she put the android to work immediately. Miyu accompanied Midori on a quick flight to Fuka University and its hospital to bring back equipment and supplies.

Since Shiho's son Jin passed away two nights ago, Alyssa spent more time helping Shiho with her remaining youngest daughter, Rin. The young girl had yet to show any signs of illness.

Treating Jin Tate took a lot out of Youko. As the sickness progressed, he grew deeply congested and his glands swelled to enormous proportions. It looked very painful and everyone who saw him pleaded with Youko to help. She was constantly reminding everyone there were only so many antibiotics she could try on the poor boy, without killing him.

In the privacy of her laboratory, Youko seethed with frustration and anger at her inability to lessen Jin's pain.

"None of these antibiotics are working…so far nothing is working," Youko screamed and threw the test printout across the room.

To alleviate her feelings of helplessness, Nao patrolled the school grounds with Midori and Mikoto. Sakomizu and the remaining teachers decided to do their best to bring back some normalcy and resumed their individual class sessions with the remaining students.

One night on the athletics field,

Midori and Nao were on cremation duty together.

"Midori…," Nao started as they took a moment to rest on the Gazebo stairs, far from the bonfire pyre created on the school athletics field.

"Yes Nao, what's on your mind?" Midori asked, as she silently prayed for the wind to shift soon.

"We should look for survivors…in the city," Nao said, running a hand through her hair and silently praying for a shift in the wind as well, because the smell of the burning bodies carried everywhere they went and seemed to permeate their clothing.

"I agree, but I doubt there are going to be too many. We should get food and _other_ supplies as well. We can't take my bird until we can secure a place to refuel, so we'll have to take a couple of vans from the school's motor pool," Midori said, thinking of one too many things she didn't yet want to voice.

"Excuse me Miss Sugiura," Miyu stated in her usual monotone voice, shocking the two women by appearing seemingly from nowhere, "Miss Sagisawa has ordered your return to her laboratory immediately."

"Did she say why?" Midori asked.

Miyu's only answer came in the form of her sword attachment, to which Midori just seemed puzzled and Nao stifled a laugh.

"So I guess _that_ means no questions?" Nao said, looking at Miyu and realizing that behind her robotic exterior there seemed to be an old familiar smile.


	11. Lambda

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai Hime is Sunrise property, 'nuff said.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **As a friend recently suggested to me, collaborative works from me and "yurianimeotaku" can be found under the pen name "yuripraetorian," our story "You Belong to Me" is just the beginning. Well koi, with that said…thank you as always for everything…my gorgeous muse, coauthor, and beta.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Lambda**

Shizuru was no stranger to living in the country, so when Natsuki accepted the Research Director's position with the laboratory in Sendai, she willingly moved with her. Since Shizuru owned her own company, she set up an office in their home and worked from there.

Unfortunately, living out in the country and Natsuki's long hours at the laboratory left Shizuru alone at home, and in Natsuki's opinion, vulnerable. No matter how many times Shizuru reassured Natsuki, the biochemist made up her mind to teach Shizuru how to use the gun Natsuki kept in the nightstand for emergencies.

This morning, Shizuru could not thank Natsuki enough for training her how to shoot. Shizuru was making the bed when she heard a loud noise coming from inside the house. Her naginata was in her home office, so she reached into the nightstand and pulled out Natsuki's gun. She cautiously left the bedroom and headed for the living room. As she quietly made her way down the hallway, sliding her stocking feet along the polished hardwood floor, she released the gun's safety and did her best to even out her breathing.

Shizuru knew to expect something like this and in a way, was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. No matter how deeply she wanted to believe she could handle any attack, she knew an enemy only needed one good day. As she got closer to the kitchen, she saw the blood smears along the hallway walls.

In the kitchen, she found the intruder. She could tell he was sick, because he swayed in place as he rummaged through the refrigerator. Shizuru felt sorry for the man, but she wasn't about to take any chances on it being an act. She took aim and put a bullet in his ear, killing him instantly.

Shizuru knew Natsuki would be home soon, so she wrapped the man in a bed sheet and dragged his lifeless corpse out of the house. She placed it next to the trashcans and went back inside to clean up.

When Natsuki arrived home, she parked her motorcycle in the garage and headed to the trashcans to throw out what was left of her sack lunch. She ran into the house in a near panic.

"SHIZURU! SHIZURU! HONEY! PLEASE ANSWER ME!" Natsuki yelled as she ran through the house looking for Shizuru.

As soon as she heard the sound of splashing water, Natsuki ran into the bath. In her haste, she almost fell into the tub, as she wrapped her arms around Shizuru and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you answer me?" Natsuki angrily pleaded, her entire body shaking from the anxiety coursing through her.

"I did not hear Natsuki," Shizuru said in a calm comforting tone, an old mask sliding away from her expression.

"What happened? Did he? You're okay…right?" Natsuki blurted, as her anxiety had yet to dissipate.

"As Natsuki can plainly see, I am fine. Now, slip out of those filthy clothes and join me," Shizuru teased, trying to bring Natsuki down from Defcon1.

"Damn it Shizuru! Don't change the subject! There's a dead man wrapped in one of our bed sheets, lying out by the trashcans!" Natsuki exclaimed, as her voice rose to a level Shizuru thought only Haruka could reach.

"Do not take that tone with me Natsuki Kuga. I love you, but I will not be treated in this manner," Shizuru warned in a curt, yet menacing tone. In a sudden eerie even tone, she reassured Natsuki, "I promise you. I am fine. We shall discuss this later. Right now, I wish to finish my bath in peace."

"But…," Natsuki retorted, wanting an answer.

Shizuru knew Natsuki would not drop the matter and sighed. She turned quickly in Natsuki's embrace and kissed her hard. Before Natsuki could protest, Shizuru pushed her wet, naked body into Natsuki's, sliding them onto the floor. Shizuru deftly stripped Natsuki and covered her now naked body with defusing kisses. Shizuru refused any conversation, except lustful banter, as they continued into the bedroom, well into the night.

In the early morning hours before dawn, Shizuru woke and headed to the kitchen. She meant to fix something to eat while Natsuki slept, but when she saw the refrigerator, the anger she felt earlier over Natsuki's reaction, reared its ugly head. Try as she might to suppress it, she found herself out by the trashcans. Shizuru walked into the garage and grabbed one of the spare gasoline cans Natsuki kept for emergencies. She dragged the body into the open area away from the house and doused it with the gasoline. Shizuru patted her sides and realized she forgot to bring a match or lighter, so she quickly spun around to head back to the house and nearly collided with a concerned looking Natsuki.

"Shizuru, I'll do this. Go back to the house," Natsuki said, as she walked past Shizuru and pulled one of the long fireplace matches from her robe.

Shizuru watched Natsuki in silence.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier, but I'm not sorry for worrying about your safety…or loving you too much," Natsuki said, as she stared at the task in front of her.

Natsuki's mind drifted back to the numerous dead, human and animal, she recently destroyed in the laboratory's incinerator. For Shizuru's safety, Natsuki never disclosed the details of what she was working on at the laboratory. By the time Natsuki got home, all she wanted was release from the nightmare at the laboratory and coming home to Shizuru washed it away.

Natsuki struck the match with her thumbnail and tossed it on the makeshift funeral pyre. As she stared into the fire, she became absorbed in her thoughts about the frustrating recent round of testing. It disturbed Natsuki, more than she cared to let on. She knew her frustration amplified her reactions to everything, causing her to snap at Shizuru. Natsuki was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't see the flames arch towards her, carried by the soft morning breeze. Shizuru roughly pulled Natsuki backwards, away from the flames.

As Natsuki stood next to Shizuru, watching the blazing fire, she made the decision to tell Shizuru everything, even if it compromised Shizuru's safety. Natsuki took Shizuru by the hand and headed back to the house. On the way back, both women said a silent prayer for the stranger. Natsuki felt a little flushed and coughed, as she ran her hand through her long tresses, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts into something coherent enough for Shizuru to understand.

After they entered the house, Shizuru started breakfast. While she was standing at the stove making pancakes, Natsuki hugged her from behind. She gently moved Shizuru's hair to one side, kissed the side of her neck, and laid her head on Shizuru's shoulder. Natsuki inhaled the scent of the woman she loved all her adult life. The smell of pancakes soon replaced Shizuru's scent, bringing Natsuki back to their time together at University.

Unlike Natsuki, Shizuru had a difficult time adjusting to the food in the University cafeteria, so Natsuki would make pancakes for her…the only thing she knew how to cook without burning.

"Shizuru, I'm really sorry about last night. I was scared. The truth is, I've been scared for awhile now," Natsuki said, as she relaxed her arms around Shizuru's waist, stealing another kiss before setting the table for breakfast.

"I accept your apology, Natsuki. I am sorry as well," Shizuru said, as she flipped the last of the pancakes onto the serving plate, "I know I should not have been so secretive, however, I was still quite shaken," Shizuru finished without looking towards Natsuki.

"It brought back some bad memories, didn't it?" Natsuki asked and immediately mentally kicked herself.

"Natsuki, the events with the First District never crossed my mind. What transpired yesterday was my own self-defense…my right to live," Shizuru answered evenly, as she shut off the stove and placed the serving plate on the table.

Shizuru returned to the stove and began wiping it down, as the nagging urge to clean overwhelmed her once again.

"Shizuru, I'm sorry. I didn't think…," Natsuki began and Shizuru cut her off.

"Please stop apologizing Natsuki. I am here, because I love Natsuki and over the past fifteen years together, we have taken the time to talk and grow emotionally. Upon our return home to Japan, did we not promise each other to keep old habits from returning? Being back in Japan was not going to change who we became," Shizuru finished cleaning and folded the towel she used to clean the sink, setting it down on the now pristine kitchen counter.

Shizuru sat down at the table and ate breakfast with the only woman she ever loved and always would.

After breakfast, Shizuru and Natsuki went to the bedroom to get dressed for the day. Natsuki sat down on the side of the bed and motioned for Shizuru to sit next to her. Natsuki disclosed everything she learned about the outbreak. They spent the next four hours talking about everything that happened since the outbreak and shared all their fears.

Thanks to her talk with Shizuru, Natsuki finally had a breakthrough in her testing. That night, she brought home a blood and tissue collection kit from the laboratory. She took blood and tissue samples from Shizuru. Knowing how important this was to Natsuki, Shizuru packed an emergency bag for her to take out to the laboratory for the next few days.

The next morning, as Shizuru watched Natsuki pack up her samples, Natsuki coughed, followed by a string of small coughs. Shizuru's eyes widened, but Natsuki waved it off as too much excitement and not enough rest.

"Shizuru, it's probably a normal cold…nothing to worry about."

Instinctively, Shizuru pressed her forehead against Natsuki's and found no abnormally high temperature, so she acquiesced to Natsuki's return to the laboratory.

As Shizuru stood on the front porch watching Natsuki's motorcycle disappear into the distance, she prayed for her beloved's safety. Even after Natsuki was out of sight, Shizuru remained on the porch awhile longer. As the wind turned and the lingering scent of charred remains reached her, a glint of light flashed in the distance, catching Shizuru's eye. She focused on the light and watched it grow larger with the passing seconds.

After Shizuru realized it was a car heading for their house, she quickly went back inside and grabbed her naginata. Shizuru cautiously watched the car pull into the driveway and park. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Yukino Kikukawa and Haruka Suzushiro get out of the car. Shizuru hid her naginata behind the couch.

Shizuru felt a genuine smile grace her face, as she walked out the front door and greeted her friends. Over the passing years, just as she and Natsuki managed to overcome the effects of the Carnival, she, Yukino, and Haruka managed to forge a friendship from the ashes as well. While she and Haruka still had their moments, cursing each other's existence for a day or two, whenever the two couples vacationed together, they usually got over it soon enough.

"Yukino, a new car? Definitely not a model Yukino would choose. I am very happy the two of you arrived safely," Shizuru teased, as she greeted Yukino with a hug; a gesture she acquired during her years in the United States with Natsuki.

"Oh…it's a recent acquisition," Yukino giggled, "It is good to finally get here."

Shizuru saw the exhaustion of the road on Yukino's face and giggled at the thought of her friend having to listen to Haruka's incessant tirade of curses for hours.

"Shizuru, I'm glad you are well and I don't want to be rude, but Haruka and I have been traveling nearly nonstop since we got home from America," Yukino said, trying to stay alert.

"Please, come inside, the guest room is ready and I will start a late lunch if you two are hungry," Shizuru said, as she turned to greet Haruka, "Haruka-chan, you look remarkably well, compared to Yukino."

Haruka's eyebrow twitched at Shizuru's use of the 'chan' honorific, giving the former kaichou the giggles.

"As you _should_ remember Bubu…," Haruka began, but Yukino cut her off.

"Haruka-chan, don't even think of starting that now…," Yukino said firmly, giving Haruka the look she used to immediately shut the volatile woman down and added, "...either of you," Yukino quickly turned to Shizuru with the same look.

Haruka bit her lip, trying to hide her pout, as she apologized and raised her hand to her forehead as a sign of exasperation. Yukino thought old habits definitely died hard, especially with Shizuru and Haruka. They followed Shizuru into the house and she showed them to the guest room. She went to the kitchen and started cooking.

As soon as Yukino and Haruka finished settling into the guest room, they joined Shizuru in the kitchen for a late lunch. They ate and caught up on recent events. When Shizuru mentioned Natsuki might have discovered something, Yukino ran out of the house and got in their car. Haruka and Shizuru stood outside the driver's side door, watching Yukino in rapt curiosity, as she frantically searched her clothing for the car keys. After Yukino realized the two women were watching her, she looked at them. Haruka dangled the car keys and smiled.

It took several minutes of coaxing by Haruka and Shizuru to get Yukino to come back in the house and get some rest before going out to Natsuki's laboratory. Shizuru promised to drive them out there, after they slept for a while. Shizuru asked Haruka for the car keys and brought their travel bags inside.

After some rest and quick showers, Shizuru took Yukino and Haruka out to Natsuki's laboratory as she promised. Shizuru was relieved when Haruka suggested they take their car, since Shizuru didn't know how to explain the blood stained back seats in her car. As Shizuru directed Yukino to the laboratory, Haruka grumbled from the backseat.

On two separate occasions, Haruka had to get out of the car and move debris blocking the road to Natsuki's laboratory. Shizuru thought of Natsuki driving along these roads on her motorcycle and mentally prepared to lecture Natsuki.

When they finally reached the laboratory, all three women were shocked at the sight before them. Shizuru added more issues to her lecture, as they covered their noses while walking by two large smoldering pyres near the main doors of the laboratory. Shizuru spotted Natsuki waiting at the main entrance.

Natsuki quickly apologized for what they had to walk through and led the three women, at a brisk pace, back to her primary laboratory. Haruka was the only one able to keep up without signs of difficulty. Natsuki's cough was still evident and Shizuru revised her mental lecture yet again.

As soon as they entered the lab, Natsuki took blood and tissue samples from Haruka and Yukino. She felt her chances of a successful breakthrough grow significantly, thanks to the addition of these new samples.

Yukino gave Haruka _that_ look and asked Natsuki how many of the computers in the building were still operational. When Natsuki informed her all of them are still working, Yukino smiled and quickly headed off to find the master control room, so she could find the building's computer room. She wanted to research a few ideas, while she had access and opportunity to a mainframe computer.

Shizuru was forced to postpone lecturing Natsuki, while the biochemist worked with the new samples; running several series of tests, thankful they were all present, just in case. With Natsuki and Yukino occupied, both Shizuru and Haruka went into 'pout' mode. They looked at each other and without a word, headed out of the laboratory.

Seconds after the laboratory door closed, Shizuru and Haruka started complaining about their partners and how neglected they felt. Suddenly, both women stopped, looked at one another in shock, and realized a moment of unguarded friendship had just passed between them.

Before the moment could settle into recognition, they started walking again, this time exchanging light curses at one another, until Haruka lapsed into a string of malapropisms. Shizuru immediately stopped in the middle of the corridor and gave Haruka a perplexed look. Haruka huffed in triumph as they reached the employee lounge. On the only table left in the room, they found a deck of cards. Shizuru felt the entire scene was unsettling and surreal.

Haruka eyed the deck of cards and looked at Shizuru, trying to decide what to do. Shizuru started rummaging through the cabinets near the room's small counter area and found some snack food in a closet. She deducted it was probably the vending machine stock. Shizuru looked at the assorted goodies, then at Haruka, catching Haruka in a similar gesture.

Three excruciatingly long hours later, Yukino entered the lounge in search of food and found Shizuru and Haruka laughing. Yukino gave the two laughing women an incredulous look, shook her head, and chalked it up to exhaustion. Both women immediately stopped laughing when they saw Yukino and pointed to a chair across the room.

As Yukino pulled the chair over to the table, she realized these two 'friends' were playing poker, using snacks for money. Instead of ruining the moment, Yukino joined them and quickly learned the rules of the game.

Over the course of the following full week,

Shizuru and Haruka used one of the small delivery trucks from the laboratory to transport essentials from the house, back to the laboratory. On one of their exploration trips through the laboratory building, they discovered a few small beds on one of the lower levels. Since Natsuki and Yukino refused to leave their individual work at the laboratory, Shizuru and Haruka set up two makeshift bedrooms for each couple. This way, Shizuru and Haruka could sleep with their respective partners.

As the days progressed, Natsuki's cough worsened, but Shizuru's lecture never made its appearance. Even though Natsuki knew her health was getting progressively worse, she refused to slow down. Natsuki could be **so** stubborn about taking time to rest; sometimes Shizuru resorted to injecting her with a sedative, while Yukino and Haruka held Natsuki still.

Near the end of the second week,

About an hour before sunrise, Natsuki made the breakthrough she fought so hard to find. Yukino and Haruka were asleep in their room. Shizuru was sleeping in the chair she fell asleep in the night before.

Natsuki held up a small vial, "Shizuru! I think this is it," she said triumphantly, before breaking down into a series of deep congested coughs, which woke Shizuru.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru ran to comfort Natsuki, who was on her knees and clutching her chest.

"Shi-zu-ru," Natsuki managed between coughs, "There's only enough for a single dose, and I'm not sure if it cures or only delays the inevitable."

"I shall get a syringe," Shizuru said and stood.

"No," Natsuki whispered and pulled Shizuru back down, "I want you to have it."

"Na-tsu-ki," Shizuru pleaded.

The next morning,

A small delivery van from Natsuki's laboratory was on the road out of Sendai, heading towards Fuka Academy. The tanks secured to the roof contained more than enough fuel to get to Fuka. Food and supplies enough for the van's occupants filled the back of the van. Two pale hands tightly clutched a small metal case, containing the culmination of Natsuki's life work.

At least now, there seemed to be hope on the horizon, if it wasn't too little, too late.


	12. Mu

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **As you can see, my beta/co-author, finally stepped up, thank you my sweet koi. Even as this story heads further into the darkness, hopefully we can pass on some levity as well. Read, review, and enjoy.

**CO-AUTHOR'S NOTES: **I will NEVER understand the power my most beloved has over me (grumble grumble).

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Mu**

As Chie stepped off the elevator, she was shocked to find a couple of men rummaging through the receptionist's desk.

"GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Chie warned.

The larger of the two men turned and looked at Chie.

Tanaka laughed and smacked the smaller man on the shoulder, "Masa, look at that," directing Masa's attention towards the woman exiting the elevator.

Masa glanced at Chie briefly and resumed his search.

"I SAID…GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Chie yelled and charged towards the men.

"Tanaka! Look at this!" Masa pulled the receptionist's purse out and held it up in triumph.

In the blink of an eye, something glinted, followed by a soft thud. Masa looked at Tanaka and then at his own arm. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the lobby as Masa held what was left of his arm. Tanaka stared incredulous at Masa's hand and forearm still attached to the receptionist's purse, lying in a puddle of blood on the floor.

Chie, repositioned to strike again, stared into Tanaka's eyes. He saw blood in the grief-stricken woman's eyes.

"Get out," Chie growled deep in her throat.

Tanaka responded by pulling out a small semi-automatic pistol and pointing it at Chie. She struck swiftly and Tanaka's head hit the floor. Chie glared at Masa, now cowering in a corner behind the receptionist's desk.

"I warned you," Chie grumbled, picked up the small semi-automatic off the floor, and walked out the door.

Chie opened the trunk of Aoi's car and threw the gun in. She slammed it shut and unlocked the door. Before she slid in behind the steering wheel, she pulled out her blades and lovingly placed them on the passenger's seat. Chie started up the car and playing on the car stereo was the same song she just left. A searing pain shot through Chie's chest. She gritted her teeth and switched off the car stereo.

As she drove away from the 'Shinjitsu,' the building exploded behind her.

Several hours later,

Chie drove towards Fuka in a trance. She didn't notice the sky had darkened and the gas tank was getting low, until it was almost too late. Luckily, she passed a gasoline station and pulled in. The lock on the pump was lying smashed on the ground, so she filled up her tank. She slid the katana into her waistband, locked up Aoi's car, and went in search of the station attendant.

As Chie came around to the back of the station, she heard the sound of a woman crying and pleading. She slowly crept closer to the sound and cautiously peeked into the garage bay. Chie saw a young woman with a dark-haired man on top of her, trying to force her legs apart.

"Hurry up Okada! I want my turn!" a second man yelled.

"I'm trying, but this bitch isn't being nice," Okada spat back and slapped the young woman across the face.

Chie was about to strike when she heard something disturbing.

"Momma!"

Chie peered back into the garage bay and saw a young boy in the station's office. A third man held his small arm roughly.

"Yeah…_momma_…be nice to me or I'll let Masahiko have his way with your son. He likes little boys," taunted Okada.

The young mother screamed, "Please don't hurt my little boy!"

"Hurry up Okada! I want a turn!"

"Shut up Jiro! Get the hell out of here!" Okada roughly pushed Jiro, causing him to land on his ass.

Jiro got up and went to join Masahiko in the station office. He slammed the door behind him.

"Now…_momma_…it's just you and me," Okada drooled and reached up the young mother's skirt.

The young mother tightly closed her eyes. She felt a breeze and the man collapsed on top of her. When she opened her eyes, she found a headless body lying on her. Before she could scream, a hand tightly covered her mouth.

"Shhh…we don't want to alert his _friends_ in the other room," Chie whispered.

Chie kicked the headless torso off the young mother and helped her up off the floor. She grabbed a mechanic's jumpsuit hanging on the wall and helped the distraught young mother into it.

"Who are you?" the young mother asked.

"Chie," she answered and led the woman to Aoi's car.

"And you?" Chie asked.

"Hiroko," the young mother answered softly.

Chie secured Hiroko in the car and went back for the little boy. She prayed he was still safe.

She crept up to the station office and pressed her ear against the closed door.

"Man, that's sick! Don't touch the kid there!"

"Don't you have something else to do?"

Chie coiled up to strike. Jiro walked out of the station office and slammed the door behind him.

"HEY! OKADA! You done, yet?"

Chie struck and Jiro's head landed on Okada's torso. She turned and headed towards the station office. She silently opened the door and found Masahiko in the process of molesting the little boy.

The little boy spotted Chie, pointed, and uttered, "Rukia."

Masahiko followed the little boy's finger and saw Chie's grinning face. She grabbed the man and threw him out of the station office, so the little boy wouldn't see what she had planned for the pedophile.

Several minutes later, Chie returned the little boy to his mother. The three stood outside the car as Chie said her farewell.

Hiroko was having a difficult time hanging on to her son, because the little boy kept fidgeting and pointing at Chie.

"Rukia!" the little boy exclaimed.

"Ichigo…please…stop," Hiroko pleaded with her son.

"Rukia!" Ichigo pointed at Chie.

Chie knelt down in front of Ichigo. He wrapped his little arms around her neck and hugged Chie tightly. She hugged him, fighting back her tears. A few minutes later, she stood and faced his mother.

"Here…," Chie handed the young mother some money, "…let me pay for the gasoline."

"No, no Chie. I owe you more than a tank of gasoline could ever repay," Hiroko took a step closer to Chie and gently placed the money back in Chie's hand.

Chie involuntarily blushed and rubbed the back of her head.

"Hiroko, I really don't want to leave you and Ichigo here alone. I'm on my way to Fuka Gakuen to meet up with some former classmates. Would you…?" Chie paused, not sure if she was doing the right thing.

"Yes Chie, we would love to go with you," Hiroko quickly answered and hugged Chie's neck.

Meanwhile at Fuka Gakuen,

Cremation duty surprisingly took a lot out of the former delinquent, so as soon as her shift was over, Nao quickly retired to her room. She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, completely bored. Suddenly, her keen senses heard movement in the hallway. Nao attempted to ignore it, figuring it was probably Sakomizu or someone else returning to their room, but her curiosity got the better of her.

She opened her door and found the hallway empty, except for a mobile phone, lying on the floor near Midori's door. Nao picked up the wayward mobile phone and before she could knock on Midori's door to return it, she flipped it open and saw a picture of Youko. The older woman was standing in the middle of a street festival, wearing not much more than several strands of colorful beads around her neck and an extremely broad smile. Nao blushed and quickly closed the mobile phone.

"Okay, that's WAY more than I ever wanted to see of Midori's girlfriend," Nao chuckled to herself.

Since no one answered Midori's door, Nao returned to her own room with Midori's mobile phone. Even though she knew she shouldn't, Nao started searching Midori's mobile phone for more goodies. Instead of finding more great nude photos or other personal shots, Nao found a picture of herself receiving her detective's badge.

"What a sentimental fool…" Nao grumbled at the four walls and closed the photo gallery.

Feeling embarrassed, but truly loved, Nao smiled. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was grateful to Midori, for many reasons. Nao laughed as she remembered the day she brought her Green Ranger plushy to work. She was putting it in her locker as a constant reminder of home, when a fellow officer made the mistake of making a childish remark. Nao got so angry with the man she broke his nose.

"That week of desk duty was SO worth it," Nao laughed.

Nao was laughing on her bed when she heard ringing. She looked around and discovered it was Midori's mobile phone, which rolled underneath her during her laughing fit. Somehow, someone found a way to get service. Nao answered the mobile phone and the voice on the other end took her completely by surprise. She remained on the line with the person, as they tested different telephone lines within the school.

Nao wanted to make sure her mobile phone worked on this new open communication system, so she held onto Midori's mobile phone until she got hers working. As multiple lines started coming alive across the Headmistress' residence and the school, Nao went to Midori's room to return the older redhead's mobile phone. It was quite late in the evening by the time Nao knocked on Midori's door. The older redhead stood in her open doorway in nothing more than a tee shirt and French-cut bikini briefs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Nao pressed the mobile phone in Midori's hand and smiled wickedly. Midori, now completely awake, stared at her ringing mobile phone.

Midori spent the last few minutes of the connection, discussing Youko's work and the recent losses. As soon as the line dropped, the large residence felt overwhelmingly gloomy and eerily reminiscent of the days of the Carnival. Knowing Midori as she did, Youko removed the mobile phone from Midori's hands and took the older redhead to bed. Youko snuggled close to Midori. The world had once again turned harsh and cold. As they drifted off to sleep, a new voice joined the chorus of coughs, sniffles, moans, and sobs.

Since the second day she arrived at Fuka, Alyssa spent all her free time retrofitting the old Searrs system to accommodate Miyu's upgrades. With the system finally running to Alyssa's satisfaction, she called Miyu into the old laboratory to begin the synchronization.

"Listen Miyu, you can run most of the synchronization yourself," Alyssa said in a weary voice, as she hugged her waist, trying to keep herself steady, "But just in case, I should be present and most of all alert."

Miyu's sensors detected Alyssa's weakened state and all indicators in Alyssa's bio-metric readings told Miyu her mistress was now sick. Miyu assured Alyssa she did not need her mistresses' presence during her synchronization process, but Alyssa insisted on staying in the laboratory during the overnight process.

The next morning, through her laboratory window, a very flustered and frustrated Youko watched three more bodies brought out to the athletic field. The rain and miserable weather amplified the foul ominous mood inside.

Earlier that morning, Alyssa went to Shiho's room to call her for breakfast, Shiho refused to leave the room and would not allow Alyssa or anyone else inside. Caring for Alicia and Rin was taking a toll on Alyssa's dwindling health. Shiho had become nearly useless to her daughter, Rin, and sat in her room uncaring, lifeless, and praying to join her husband and son.

Frustrated and angered by Shiho's apathetic demeanor since her son's death, Nao reverted to her old ways. Later that morning, Nao carried Shiho to the baths, got the lethargic woman dressed, and then to lunch with the others.

As soon as Shiho entered the cafeteria, Rin ran up and hugged her mother around the waist. Shiho stood staring down at her daughter.

"Momma," Rin cried and tightened her arms around Shiho's waist.

Everyone in the cafeteria watched in anticipation, waiting for Shiho to hug her daughter back, but Shiho continued to stare through her distraught daughter. Alyssa finally had enough of the heart-wrenching scene and peeled Rin off Shiho. Completely disgusted, Nao pushed Shiho to a free table and forced her to sit down.

Alyssa led a now sobbing Rin back to the table she was sharing with her own daughter and Miyu. As soon as they sat down, Rin began a new round of crying. She cried hard against Alyssa. After Miyu finished feeding Alicia, she took Rin by the hand and sat her down next to Shiho.

"You are ill, she is _not_," Miyu said evenly, as she sat opposite Rin and glared at Shiho.

"You just _had_ to give that android emotion," Shiho spat angrily at Alyssa, as tears streamed down her face.

"_I _was about to slap you, _again_," Nao threatened from beside Shiho.

Mai wore her usual smile when she and Mikoto joined the others for lunch, but her eyes reflected her exhaustion.

"Mikoto, please…stop hovering over me," Mai asked, as she wiped the sweat from her brow and sat next to Nao.

"If you don't eat lunch, Mikoto won't be the only one hovering over you," Nao replied, as Mai settled into her seat, exhaustion settling around her.

Last night, Mai started feeling extremely exhausted and became violently ill, just as she and Mikoto were settling in to sleep. Mikoto was almost out the door to get Youko, but Mai stopped her with a simple plea.

"Don't…" Mai begged, as her body calmed slightly.

Mikoto acquiesced, only because Mai promised to see Youko the next morning. Mikoto spent the night in fitful sleep, even though she held Mai close. She dreamt of her brother, another bloodier Carnival, watching Mai and the others die around her, wasting away from such a horrible illness, as John Smith of Searrs lurked in the background laughing victoriously.

Mikoto clung tighter to Mai and sat bolt upright from the nightmare. Try as she might, Mikoto could not get back to sleep. Although Mai's body felt clammy against hers, Mikoto needed to be close after that nightmare.

Morning brought Mai's cheery expression once more, but Mikoto lost some of her cheerfulness. The same nightmare haunted her nearly every night, as the days soon grew too long for her.

Two days on the road out of Sendai,

Yukino asked for a break several hours ago, but Haruka grumbled about making good time, so Yukino dropped the subject. Now, Haruka's lower back reminded her; in a very painful way, it was time for a much-needed break, so she pulled into the first rest stop they came upon. Yukino was happy, because she wanted to try reaching Fuka again. Haruka glanced up into her rear-view mirror and nodded to Yukino. To be safe, Haruka stopped the van right in the middle of the parking lot and surveyed the area, before shutting off the engine.

"Yukino, the place looks deserted, but stay alert," Haruka warned as she cautiously exited the van.

"Yes Haruka," Yukino replied as she climbed back into the van's cargo area.

Yukino hung the solar plates she took from Natsuki's laboratory in the van's windows and started up her laptop computer.

Haruka's eyes darted everywhere as she made her way to the rear of the van. She slapped her meaty palm against the driver's window of the van parked right behind her, almost giving the driver a heart attack.

Startled crimson eyes glared at Haruka through the glass.

"Bubuzuke woman, roll down the window," Haruka motioned to Shizuru to roll down the window.

Shizuru did not move and continued to stare in a daze at Haruka.

"DID YOU HEAR ME?" Haruka yelled through the glass.

Shizuru nodded. Haruka stormed away frustrated.

The past two days on the road stretched the already tenuous relationship between Haruka and Shizuru to its limits. Shizuru's thoughts were preoccupied with Natsuki's failing health. She had not regained consciousness since handing the precious vial to Shizuru.

Shizuru was having difficulty keeping her old masks in place and was now prone to tearful breakdowns born out of frustration. Watching Natsuki slowly deteriorate with each passing day ripped into Shizuru.

During their preparations for the trip to Fuka, Shizuru found it extremely hard to be in the home she and Natsuki made together over the past decade, but through her tears, she managed to gather clothing, supplies, and mementoes she and Natsuki held dear.

Shizuru looked at Natsuki, unconscious on the makeshift hospital bed next to her in the van. Thanks to the sedatives, she slept soundly with her arms wrapped around the stuffed wolf Shizuru gave her, while they were still dating. Shizuru looked out the driver's window at Haruka, who was sitting back on a bench, drinking a bottle of water and silently thanked her. Haruka was the one who removed the passenger seat and bolted down the cot, so they could transport Natsuki safely and keep her close to Shizuru, who feared Natsuki might pass during the trip to Fuka.

In the other van, Yukino was busy logging into the satellites she prepped back at Natsuki's laboratory. The same night of Natsuki's success, Yukino finally got two of the four satellites procured by the Suzushiro Corporation back online. Several years before the outbreak, Yukino convinced Haruka to invest in four decommissioned satellites to establish DiNet, a new state of the art communications network, an ingenious foresight by Yukino.

Yukino dedicated two of the four satellites to the DiNet project and covertly utilized the other two for a secret project she didn't discuss with anyone, including Haruka. Unfortunately, DiNet took up most of her time, so her other project was incomplete before the outbreak. Fortunately, Yukino was able to complete half of the project, which gave her access to vital information on a global scale. She relayed most of the information she obtained to Youko.

As Yukino watched her project come alive on her laptop, her eyes widened and she gasped. A global scan of the local area reflected an image of an army mobilization. Yukino silently cursed the screen after she ran the trajectory of the image and realized they were on a collision course, straight to Fuka.

"We got rid of you once, we'll do it again," Yukino uncharacteristically growled as she brought up her laptop dialer.

"Yukino…?" Chie asked surprised.

"Chie? I'm sorry. I dialed the wrong number," Yukino apologized.

"How is _this_ possible?" Chie inquired, her reporter senses still keen to news of any kind.

"Chie, I don't have time to fill you in now. I need to alert the others at Fuka. I'll fill you and Aoi in later," Yukino rattled off, completely distracted, barely catching Chie's harsh intake of breath and choked unintelligible response.

Yukino heard the sound of squealing tires and shouting. Several minutes later, Yukino heard the voice of an unknown woman.

"Hello? My name is Hiroko. Whatever you said to Chie nearly caused her to crash. I don't mean to be rude, but she can't talk right now," the young mother said.

Yukino swore she could hear the sound a beating heart, as well as Chie repeatedly chanting Aoi's name. Hiroko's heart was pounding hard in her chest, after having to steer Chie away from a crashing into a building.

"I'm so sorry," Yukino apologized, as the realization of Aoi's passing cut her like a thousand sharp knives. "Please tell Chie I'm sorry and I will call her later. Unfortunately, this line runs one way only."

Yukino stared at her laptop as tears rolled down her cheeks. Just then, Haruka peered into one of the van's windows to check on Yukino and saw her beloved crying. She tore open the van's side door and wrapped her arms around Yukino.

"Aoi is gone," Yukino murmured.

Haruka didn't say a word. She just held Yukino close and tried to provide as much comfort as possible. About half an hour later, Yukino was coherent enough to make the correct connection to Fuka, so Haruka left to bring Shizuru up to speed. As Haruka approached Shizuru's van, she heard sobbing and fell to her knees. She cursed whatever deity was listening.

After regaining her composure, Haruka returned to her own van and started up the engine. She beeped the horn a couple of times to let Shizuru know they were getting back on the road. Haruka breathed a sigh of relief after she heard the second engine fire up. With Natsuki's precarious condition and the approaching danger from what Yukino determined to be Searrs, Haruka desperately wanted to get them to Fuka as quickly as possible.


	13. Nu

**DISCLAIMER: **These Mai HiME characters belong to Sunrise.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **I am so glad to finally have this story where it belongs. This story has been ours from day one…we both had this vision and have been working together to share it with you. Be warned because we are, and will continue to be graphic with our details of violence and death. Though there will be some levity, it is minimal and only serves to keep the authors sane. As always read, enjoy, and review…

**CO-AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Putting this chapter together felt like working on a jigsaw puzzle.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Nu**

At Fuka Gakuen,

By the time Mai and Mikoto retired to their room for the night, both women were past the point of exhaustion.

Since their arrival at Fuka, Mai commandeered the kitchen and cooking duties, after Midori's disastrous first meal. The food was so inedible, even a starving Mikoto pushed her plate away. While Mai was running the kitchen, Mikoto kept busy helping Midori and Nao manage the necessary daily tasks, including cremation duty.

Unbeknownst to anyone, even Mikoto herself, cremation duty was beginning to take a heavy emotional toll on the young athlete.

Inside the Searrs Compound mirage, somewhere in the Nevada desert,

Reito gave up all concept of time long ago. He didn't even know if it was day or night. Fluorescent lighting illuminated his world and the artificial sounds around him assaulted his senses. He longed to feel the sun on his face and hear the sounds of nature, but above all else, he longed for one more visit with his sister and Mai.

The last time he saw Mikoto and Mai, they all shared a home-cooked meal, something he secretly cherished, since he spent most of his life on the road for business. Life on the road taught Reito how to enjoy the simple things in life.

Recently, Reito wondered why his captors were no longer giving him pain or sleep medications. He noticed his team of researchers dwindled down to one lowly attendant who brought him his meals. The unusually cold man fed Reito so roughly; the attendant almost choked him with the food.

Today, as the man entered with Reito's horrible lunch, the look on the man's face caused a chill to run through Reito.

"Why he insists on keeping you alive is beyond me," the attendant growled, as he set up Reito's food tray.

"So kill me," Reito spat, hoping the man would do just that.

The man bore into Reito with unemotional icy blue eyes and curtly replied, "Hmmm…well…I guess I would be doing the world a favor, but Smith gave strict orders to keep you alive."

"What do you mean by that?" Reito asked.

The attendant laughed and shoved a spoonful of mush into Reito's mouth, once again, nearly choking him with the bitter gruel. Reito sputtered and spit out what he couldn't swallow.

"Son…of…a…bitch!" the attendant yelled and scooped up the pile from the floor.

As he was about to discard the waste, an evil thought crossed his mind and he shoved the spoon back in Reito's mouth. Before Reito could spit it out again, the attendant clasped his hand over Reito's mouth and forced him to swallow.

For the better part of the feeding, Reito continued to fight with his attendant. It took several punches and a few lost spoons, before Reito finally settled down and finished his gruel without further resistance. As the attendant gathered up the meal utensils, Reito debated whether to pursue his earlier question.

Just before the attendant exited the cell, Reito asked, "What did you mean by "doing the world a favor?"

The attendant stopped and without turning around, replied coldly, "Dude, you're the harbinger of death…the reason the world is dying around us."

"WHAT?" Reito yelled.

The attendant pushed the cart into the hallway, turned around while kicking the cell door shut behind him, and walked back to Reito.

"Strange…it doesn't look like they whacked off your ears," the man growled.

"What the hell did you mean about the world dying around us?" Reito asked excitedly.

"Yeah…the whole world is dying…and you're the reason I lost my wife and son!" the attendant punched Reito in the face.

Reito spit out the blood in his mouth and glared at the grieving angry man in front of him, as he struggled against his restraints.

"Gonna hit me? With what?" the attendant taunted.

Before Reito could respond, another man entered the cell and pulled the attendant out into the hallway.

"There have been three more deserters since Smith left."

Reito strained to hear the conversation.

"Hell, it's not like I haven't thought about it too, but I don't have anywhere to go. I might as well stay here…where we have enough supplies," Reito's attendant replied.

"Yeah, but the unit commander left about fifteen minutes ago. The facility security isn't doing anything to stop the guys from leaving. The ones still here, for whatever reasons, are partying in the barracks."

"So what? As long as those morons aren't shooting off their guns, let them party. Have you heard anything more about the HiME tests?" the attendant asked.

"I overheard the researchers complaining about the results from the lab in Japan. It was something about them being incomplete, because none of the test subjects survived the process. They're stuck, because no one has figured out how to unlock the DNA sequencing yet. If they don't get more viable test subjects soon, we're all dead…DEAD man, DEAD!"

"Calm the hell down! I heard Smith is on his way to Japan for more test subjects…some school there," Reito's attendant leered into Reito's cell at him.

Reito remembered the gathering at Fuka and felt as if someone punched him in the stomach.

"One of the researcher's assistants told me the only test subject to live through the process is him," the man pointed at Reito's cell, "That's why Smith is keeping him alive."

"Yeah…if you call _that_ living," Reito's attendant said sarcastically.

Both men looked at the sign posted next to Reito's cell:

**Test Subject: Black Prince**

**Level 6 Clearance**

USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN HANDLING

Test subject to remain restrained AT ALL TIMES

Absolutely NO sharp objects allowed in cell

Maintain constant audio and video surveillance on test subject

"I've been taking care of that guy since he got here. He _may_ have been a threat before, but now he's as helpless as those mutants they've been creating in the lab," Reito's attendant snickered.

As soon as the two men took their conversation away from in front of the cell doorway, Reito worked his right hand out of its restraint. He thanked Kami for his attendant's recent general laxness. Reito felt around him and smiled. His attendant overlooked one of the lost plastic spoons. Reito snapped the spoon into sharp pieces.

Before Reito's attendant returned to his cell, Reito managed to loosen the wrist restraint enough so he could easily slip in and out of it unnoticed. He unbuckled the strap around his waist and slipped his right hand back into its restraint.

When the attendant returned to Reito's cell, he saw the waist strap was unbuckled. In his haste to secure Reito's waist strap, he forgot to close the cell door behind him. While the angry attendant tried to buckle the waist strap, Reito violently struggled with the man. In order to hold Reito down, the attendant had to wrestle with him. As they wrestled, Reito slipped his right hand out of the restraint and stabbed the man in the neck…once in the throat and once in the jugular vein. The man grabbed the side of his neck to stop the fountain of blood, but to no avail. He collapsed and died on top of Reito.

With his free hand, Reito pushed the dead man off him and freed himself from the remaining restraints. He rolled onto the floor and landed in the large puddle of the dead man's blood. Reito dragged himself through the blood, out the open door, and down the hallway, leaving a smeared blood trail in his wake.

Reito was exhausted by the time he finally reached the elevator. The elevator call button seemed miles away as he looked up from the floor. He leaned on his stump of a left arm and reached up with his complete right arm, but he was about three inches short of the button, so he tried bouncing up, which resulted in a searing pain through his left stump. Quickly, he switched positions and bounced on his right arm. After several attempts, he finally pressed the elevator call button.

As he waited for the elevator, he heard what sounded like a group of men, definitely searching for him, heading towards his current position. He prayed for the elevator to hurry up. Just as the sound of the group of men got close, the elevator door opened. Reito gratefully exhaled and pulled himself into the elevator, where he collapsed. The elevator doors closed and then Reito's eyes followed suit.

When the elevators doors opened, the men were greeted by Reito Kanzaki's peacefully smiling dead face.

At Fuka Gakuen, in Mai and Mikoto's room,

Mai felt Mikoto's body jerk violently. Mai looked down at the young woman she had grown to love so deeply over the past fifteen years. Since reconnecting as lovers, Mikoto resumed sleeping on Mai's chest, just as she did during their time as Fuka students.

Mai wondered what was disturbing her beloved's normally placid sleep and soothingly stroked Mikoto's back. As Mai drifted back to sleep, she remembered how Kami brought her to this point. No matter how hard Mai wanted to be like other ordinary women, her heart had other plans.

None of her dates with Yuuichi, Reito, or any of the other young men at University ever swayed her heart off its designated course to Mikoto, even though the process took several years. Throughout Mai's coming out process, Mikoto patiently waited for her to see her as more than just a friend.

After Mai graduated from University with a degree in Business, she, like most of the office women in Japan, took her place in a large corporation as an office lady, performing mind-numbing menial tasks. With each passing day, Mai grew more and more despondent and disillusioned with her future. As her depression grew, she subconsciously began to cut herself off from her family and friends. Takumi didn't notice the change, since he was in the United States with Akira and communication with his sister was already sporadic. Natsuki noticed, but around that time, she and Shizuru were in the process of purchasing their new home in Sendai and moving. Mikoto was the one who noticed and took action.

While completing her degree in Physical Education, Mikoto reluctantly opted to live in the University dorms, since the school was a couple of hours away from Mai's apartment, but she kept in daily contact with Mai. When Mikoto's calls began going directly to Mai's voicemail, Mikoto grew extremely concerned. She wanted to take some time off from her studies to check on Mai, but after a long talk with her brother Reito, Mikoto finally agreed to give Mai some time. After an extremely frustrating week, Mikoto finally had enough of waiting. She packed a bag and went looking for Mai, the woman she loved since she they were students at Fuka.

Mai was still at work when Mikoto arrived at the redhead's apartment, so she settled down in front of the apartment and waited…and waited.

"Mikoto?"

Mikoto woke with a start. After she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw Mai, she jumped into Mai's arms as she did back at Fuka. Unfortunately, she didn't realize just how much she had grown over the years and ended up flattening Mai into the ground.

"MAI!"

"Mi…ko…to," Mai gasped, "You're not light."

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Mikoto quickly apologized and helped Mai up from the ground.

"Mikoto, what are you doing here?"

"You stopped returning my calls," Mikoto said concerned and looked directly into Mai's eyes.

"I'm fine Mikoto. Go back to University," Mai said curtly.

Mikoto stared at Mai in disbelief. In all the years she had known Mai, the perky redhead was never curt with anyone, no matter how upset.

"But Mai…," Mikoto said hurt and dejected.

The pain in Mikoto's voice tore Mai from her self-imposed exile from the human race and a chill ran down her spine.

"Mikoto," Mai said gently and lifted up Mikoto's chin.

The familiar gentleness was back in Mai's voice and Mikoto saw a glimmer of the girl she loved at Fuka in those soft violet eyes. Mikoto smiled at Mai, wrapped her strong arms around her, and held the redhead tightly.

"Mi…ko…to," Mai said through ragged breaths, "You've…gotten…very…strong."

"Sorry Mai," Mikoto profusely apologized and released Mai.

"Let's go inside," Mai smiled and led Mikoto into her apartment.

After they settled in for the evening, the two old friends talked well into the wee hours of the morning. Mai opened up and told Mikoto why she was so depressed lately. Mikoto came out to Mai.

"MIKOTO MINAGI!" Mai exclaimed in surprise.

"What? She seduced me," Mikoto defended herself, but didn't know why, "And…well…I _was_ checking out her cute butt on the track during practice."

"So?" Mai asked sheepishly, "Is she your girlfriend now?"

"No, no. She's just my roommate," Mikoto blushed, "She knows I'm in love with someone else."

"Oh," Mai said sadly, which surprised her.

"Yes. I've been in love with the same woman for a long time," Mikoto confessed.

"Does she return your feelings?" Mai pressed on.

Mikoto stared silently into her bowl of ramen. Mai saw a tear fall into the bowl and knew the answer to her question.

"Oh, Mikoto," Mai whispered and placed her hand on Mikoto's shoulder.

Mikoto placed her hand over Mai's and stared intently into the violet eyes she loved. She leaned closer to Mai and searched the redhead's face for any signs of rejection. Mikoto pressed her lips against Mai's.

"Mi…"

Mikoto softly, but firmly kissed Mai, hoping to convey her feelings in that kiss. Mikoto slowly pulled away and searched Mai's face again. She took notice of Mai's dilated pupils and the fact the redhead was looking through her, not at her.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Mikoto asked softly, "Mai? Are you alright?"

Mai nodded. Mikoto was completely befuddled, because an unsolicited kiss usually elicited anger or passion. She didn't know what to do next. Mikoto finished her ramen in silence and stood to take her bowl into the kitchen.

Mai grabbed Mikoto's wrist and stopped her from leaving.

"Mai?"

"Mikoto, please don't be mad at me."

Mai stood, faced Mikoto, took the empty ramen bowl out of the young athlete's hands, and placed it back on the table.

"Huh?"

Mai looked deep into Mikoto's eyes. The young woman's eyes widened with surprise at what she saw in Mai's eyes.

"Mai?"

Mai nodded and looked down at the floor. Mikoto didn't waste any time. She scooped Mai up in her arms and carried her beloved to the bedroom.

Early the next morning, Mikoto woke with a huge smile on her face. She was a bit surprised a woman Mai's age, would be so inexperienced, but for what Mai lacked in experience, she more than made up for in enthusiasm. The smell of Mai's cooking brought Mikoto out of her reverie and she realized she was alone in Mai's bed.

Mikoto grabbed her shirt off the bedroom floor and headed to the kitchen. Mai was in front of the stove cooking, staring aimlessly into the pan.

"Mai?" Mikoto asked gently.

Mai continued to stare into the pan.

"Mai?" Mikoto repeated, a bit louder.

Mikoto could see Mai was completely lost in thought. The young athlete prayed Mai was not regretting last night, or worse, repulsed by the memory.

Contrary to what Mikoto's track team friends told her, one night did not miraculously enlighten Mai. In fact, much to Mikoto's shock and pain, it took Mai several months of uncertainty and an indiscretion with a married man, before she finally came to terms with everything and her relationship with the young athlete.

Earlier the same day at Fuka Gakuen,

With each passing day, Shiho got worse and grew increasingly adamant about keeping Rin and Alicia away from her. No matter how much Shiho protested, the others continued to ignore her. Miyu took it upon herself to make sure Shiho didn't forget about her only remaining child. She brought Rin in daily to see her mother for short visits, mostly after meals and naps. It pained Miyu to watch how Shiho's indifference towards Rin tore up the child after each visit. The bright little girl didn't understand her mother's refusal of hugs or kisses, so Miyu made sure the little girl understood how sick her mommy was, and it wasn't Rin's fault.

While Miyu was with Rin and Shiho, Alyssa took the time to play with Alicia or get some much-needed rest. After receiving the call from Yukino to set up the DiNet system, Alyssa continued to have daily contact with Yukino as they worked to make it a two-way system. Since completing the upgrades to Miyu's system, Alyssa dedicated her free time to this new project. The young genius still had a few tricks up her sleeve and wanted to put them to good use.

One afternoon, after Alyssa put Alicia down for her nap, she was in the process of gathering her materials to continue her work on the DiNet system at Fuka, when Miyu and Rin returned from their visit with Shiho.

Miyu put Rin down for her nap with Alicia and returned to Alyssa.

"Miss Alyssa? Have you noticed Miss Alicia is a bit congested?" Miyu asked, concerned for the infant's health.

"No. She was fine before I put her down for her nap," Alyssa replied, as she continued to gather her materials.

"She refused her bottle and her breathing is labored," Miyu said.

Panic grabbed Alyssa and her stomach twisted into knots. She followed Miyu to the adjoining room where Alicia took her naps, allowing Alyssa to work in the main bedroom. Rin was sleeping soundly in the bed next to Alicia's crib. Alyssa saw the tracks of dried tears on Rin's cheeks. She leaned down and kissed the little girl on the cheek.

"I see Shiho hasn't changed," Alyssa stated sadly.

"Unfortunately," Miyu replied flatly.

Alyssa touched Alicia's forehead, "She's not running a fever," Alyssa said relieved and added, "She had some apple juice earlier. Miyu, you know it congests her a little while afterwards, even after adding water to it. Are there any other symptoms?"

Alyssa brushed her daughter's hair away from her angelic face and rested a hand on her infant's chest.

"There are no other symptoms, however, I believe it would be prudent to have Miss Sagisawa give her a complete check-up after she wakes from her nap," Miyu insisted, concern etched into her still youthful features.

Alyssa looked into Miyu's eyes, smiled, and cupped the android's cheek, "Shiho was wrong. I'm glad I gave you emotions. The reprogramming of your AI has given you more of a heart than even hoped for."


	14. Xi

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai-HiME is Sunrise property and we are creating large ripples in its sandbox.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This labor of love has consumed so much of our energies, I sometimes wonder just how it makes it to the page so clearly. My muse is currently streaking around Fuka, cursing madly about divided attention…pulling a Lady Godiva, minus the horse.

**CO-AUTHOR'S NOTES: **My muse is basking in the sunshine at Club Muse, so my writing has been sporadic at best.

* * *

**Final Apocalypse**

**Xi**

On the road, nearing Hiroshima,

As Chie drove through the night towards Hiroshima, she glanced down at Hiroko snuggled against her, fast asleep. Wrapped in Hiroko's arms, Ichigo slept soundly. Chie returned her eyes to the road and allowed herself to think about Aoi…back to their days before the outbreak.

Chie burst into the apartment, searching for Aoi.

"Aoi? Dear? Are you home?" Chie excitedly called out, as she ran from room to room searching for her partner.

As Chie looked under their bed, Aoi stood in the doorway of their bedroom, giggling at the sight before her.

"Chie? Did you honestly think you'd find me under there?" Aoi asked, trying very hard to stifle her giggles.

"Huh?" Chie looked up at Aoi, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What is all the excitement about?" Aoi asked as she sat down on the bed in front of Chie, who was still kneeling on the floor.

The sight of Aoi's bare legs caused Chie to lose her train of thought.

"Chie!" Aoi playfully pushed her partner, "Stop staring at my legs and tell me what all the excitement is about."

"Oh," Chie shook her head to clear it, "Yeah! I landed exclusive coverage to the social event of the century! We'll be covering the Imperial House of Japan's gala charity event.

"How…?" Aoi asked, but immediately answered her own question, as she remembered which major corporation was backing the event, "Yukino?"

"Yes," Chie replied sheepishly and looked at the floor.

Aoi swiftly stood and left their bedroom. Chie silently berated herself and chased after Aoi, who headed for the front door.

"Aoi…Aoi…please don't leave," Chie pleaded as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Chie? Chie?"

"Aoi?" Chie murmured.

"Chie, why are you crying? Are you alright?" Hiroko asked softly.

"Huh? Oh…sorry, I was…," Chie began.

"Aoi?"

"Yes," Chie replied.

Hiroko reached up, wiped Chie's tears away, and kissed her on the cheek. Chie stared at Hiroko in shock.

"I miss my partner as well," Hiroko said sadly, "She passed away…alone…in the hospital, because they wouldn't let me and Ichigo in to see her. Ichigo really misses his mother."

Chie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Kanna, who was a lot like you, gave birth to Ichigo after we found out I couldn't have children," Hiroko looked down at Ichigo, "The petrol station was her dream. She loved repairing vehicles…all types. She even restored an old military tank she bought at an auction."

"REALLY?" Chie exclaimed, "A real military tank?"

"Yes. Kanna was a prodigy…," Hiroko smiled, as a wicked memory crossed her mind, "…in everything."

Chie and Hiroko blushed at the exact same time. This realization made Chie laugh and Hiroko giggled.

"Thank you," Chie wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, "I haven't laughed in such a long time."

"Me too," Hiroko smiled.

The laughter woke Ichigo, who stared at the two smiling women.

"Momma?"

"Ichigo, I'm sorry I woke you."

"Momma, that's okay. It's nice to see you smile again," Ichigo wrapped his arms around Hiroko's neck and hugged her tightly.

On the road, just outside of Tatsuno,

The sun was high in the sky before Haruka found a rest stop. As usual, they pulled in and parked in the middle of the parking lot, in case they had to make a quick escape. Again, Yukino climbed into the cargo area of the van, hung the solar panels, and logged into DiNet. Haruka cautiously exited the van and surveyed the area. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she walked back to Shizuru's van. Instead of pounding on the driver's side window like last time and getting no response from Shizuru, Haruka approached the van from the passenger's side. She opened the unlocked passenger door.

"SHIZURU! What have I told you about keeping this door locked at all times?" Haruka bellowed.

"Haruka, it was locked. I opened it for Haruka just now," Shizuru responded calmly, as she checked on Natsuki.

"How is she?" Haruka asked tentatively.

"Unchanged," Shizuru replied coolly.

Back in the other van, Yukino first checked for any movement by Searrs. She was relieved to discover they were no longer advancing towards Fuka; although she didn't know why. Once she connected with Alyssa at Fuka, she gave the young genius her Searrs update and Alyssa filled her in on the current events there. When Alyssa informed Yukino about Midori's plans to go hunting for supplies, Yukino aired her concerns. After Alyssa assured Yukino she would send Miyu with Midori, Yukino acquiesced, as long as Searrs remained stationary.

"Shizuru, will you help me secure this place?" Haruka asked, as she watched Shizuru tend to an extremely pale Natsuki.

"Yes. Let me finish with Natsuki first," Shizuru requested.

"I'll wait for you at that table," Haruka said, as she pointed to a picnic table.

Haruka closed the passenger door and walked over to the picnic table. As she was about to sit down, something shiny caught her eye. She stared at the shiny object and cautiously walked towards it. It was the barrel of a nickel-plated Colt .45, partially buried in the dirt, next to several drag marks. This discovery immediately put Haruka on alert and she quickly picked up the pistol.

"What did you find?" Shizuru asked from behind Haruka, startling the already agitated woman.

"BUBUZUKE! DON'T DO THAT!" Haruka yelled and pointed the Colt at Shizuru.

"Haruka, please do not point that at me," Shizuru said calmly and pushed the barrel away from her.

"Oh, sorry, but you startled me," Haruka apologized gruffly.

"Haruka, do you know how to use that?" Shizuru asked, as she caught Haruka looking into the muzzle of the pistol she was holding.

Haruka glared at Shizuru and turned the pistol to show her the safety was on. Suddenly, Haruka heard her shooting instructor's voice boom in her head, _"Suzushiro! Are you brain damaged? How many times do I have to tell you? DO NOT LOOK DOWN THE BARREL OF A LOADED GUN!"_

Yukino lovingly suggested Haruka take shooting lessons to help the hotheaded woman get rid of stress, but the shooting instructor Yukino chose, caused Haruka more stress than the shooting helped alleviate.

It angered Haruka when she discovered the barrel of the pistol packed with dirt. She knew it would be no good to her in that condition, so she released the clip, pocketed it, and threw the useless firearm over the fence, as far away as possible.

"Haruka, what are those drag marks in the dirt?" Shizuru asked, pointing down to where Haruka found the pistol.

Haruka shrugged and instinctively began following the longest drag mark, which lead around the information booth. Shizuru put her hand on the pistol in her pocket and followed. As they came around the other side of the information booth, they both gasped.

It looked like a war had taken place. There were bodies of several dead military men strewn all over the ground.

"Haruka, what happened here?" Shizuru asked, with her pistol drawn.

"No idea, but whatever it was, these guys lost," Haruka replied.

They gingerly walked by the bodies, confirming all the men were dead. Haruka stopped suddenly and opened her mobile telephone. She contacted Yukino in the van. Haruka told Yukino to stay in the van with the doors locked and not to open the doors for anyone.

"Shizuru, don't you find it odd that none of these men are armed?" Haruka asked, as she headed towards the information booth's door just behind Shizuru.

"Yes, but even stranger is they are missing various body parts," Shizuru replied.

As Shizuru opened the door to the information booth, she bit back a scream. Inside were three dead women, completely naked.

"DEAR KAMI!" Haruka yelled when she saw the women.

"This one was shot in the head and those two were beaten to death," Shizuru stated, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

Haruka staggered back out of the information booth and Shizuru followed.

"Haruka?" Shizuru asked concerned.

"I'm fine!" Haruka barked.

"I think I know what took place here. These men killed those three women after sexually assaulting them, and then _they_ were killed by someone or a group of people with swords." Shizuru stated.

"Swords?" Haruka asked incredulous.

"Yes. Only a katana can take off body parts with such clean precision," Shizuru replied.

"Who?" Haruka mumbled.

"Perhaps this is the answer," Shizuru handed Haruka a bloody newspaper.

"The Shinjitsu?" Haruka asked puzzled.

Both women stared at each other, while attempting to fathom the impossible.

"She…," Haruka stammered and shook her head, "…is not capable of anything like this."

Shizuru remained silent. Several minutes later, Haruka came back to her senses and both women headed back to the vans.

When Haruka opened the back door of the van, an armed frightened Yukino greeted her.

"HARUKA!"

"Yukino, it's just me," Haruka said soothingly, as she disarmed her beloved.

"What happened out there?" Yukino buried her face in Haruka's chest.

"I'll tell you later, but right now, I want you to stay here. Shizuru and I are going to check the vending machines for supplies." Haruka kissed Yukino and closed the back door.

Haruka and Shizuru each grabbed the tire irons from their vans and headed for the vending machines. They found the machines already busted open and nearly cleaned out, so they gathered up what little there was and packed it in the vans.

"We'd better secure the restrooms," Haruka said.

Relieved, they didn't find anyone or anything in the restrooms. Upon their return to the vans, they each grabbed some water and dried fruit to eat.

Before joining Shizuru at the picnic table, Haruka looked at Yukino, who was busy tracking Searrs for Alyssa. At that moment, Haruka's adrenaline level dropped back down to normal and she suddenly felt an urge to take Yukino in her arms. Instead, she reached over and lovingly caressed Yukino's cheek.

When Haruka joined Shizuru at the picnic table, Shizuru looked so consumed in her own thoughts, Haruka felt like she was intruding, but she sat down anyway and silently ate her food.

"Fifteen years, Haruka. After all this time I don't want to lose Natsuki, I can't," Shizuru said absently.

Haruka understood what Shizuru was feeling. The bond she shared with Yukino as friends grew stronger after they became lovers. In preparation to step into her retiring father's shoes and run the Suzushiro Corporation, Haruka majored in Business at University. As her father's only child, the family groomed Haruka from the day she was born, to take the reins of the Suzushiro Corporation. The expectation of her to marry into a good family and quickly produce an heir, preferably a male heir, weighed heavily on her throughout her years at University. She didn't bother to date while attending University, because she was arranged to marry a good man from a good family.

She met her future husband when they were sixteen years old. He told her he wanted to be a professional baseball player and she told him she was going to be the head of the Suzushiro Corporation. When he asked her what she wanted to be, she repeated, in an exasperated tone, she was going to be the head of the Suzushiro Corporation.

After graduation, the professional baseball player and the young executive prepared to wed. Yukino was finishing her studies in Astrophysics at University, when Haruka asked her to help her through the wedding preparations. Although it pained Yukino to watch the woman she loved for so long, prepare to wed another, she never denied Haruka anything…including this.

Yukino was in such pain during this time, she needed someone other than Haruka for emotional support. Luckily, one day as she ate her lunch in the University cafeteria, something she almost never did, she reconnected with an old friend who was attending the same University.

Coincidentally, her friend was going through a similar situation as Yukino with the woman she loved since high school. One night, after an especially emotional support session, Yukino kissed her friend and they became more than friends. Yukino thought it best to keep this from Haruka, at least until after the wedding.

Yukino, Haruka's maid of honor, cried harder than Haruka at the wedding, which surprised many of the guests. After the bride and groom left the reception, Yukino ran to her friend's arms and discovered the meaning of ecstasy.

On her wedding night, Haruka got the surprise of her life. Her new husband couldn't perform his husbandly duty. After several failed attempts, he finally came clean with his new bride. He tearfully admitted he was a homosexual and married her to stop all the rumors. Haruka's new husband expected her to be angry, but instead of yelling at him, she began laughing. After she stopped laughing, she grew serious and proposed a business arrangement with her new husband. She would remain married to him and keep his secret, but it would be a marriage of convenience and he would never lay claim to the Suzushiro Corporation or her monies.

"I wouldn't know what to do, if I were in your shoes. Yukino's been the brightest star in my night since we were children," Haruka said as she reached across the table and placed her hand on Shizuru's.

It surprised Haruka when Shizuru turned her hand, palm up, and clasped Haruka's, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.

In the van,

After disconnecting with Alyssa, Yukino was so upset, she couldn't finish her food. She was in shock and couldn't believe what Alyssa said about Shiho. The news Shiho was sick had been a small shock, but her cold behavior towards her own child disturbed Yukino greatly.

Yukino separated the flash drive from the lanyard around her neck and opened her journal. This journal contained every idea she had…good and bad…as well as the very best of her and Haruka. As the entry came up on the screen, Yukino began to cry, because even now the memory was still so fresh…

_Dreams_

Haruka is married.

What now?

Do I give up my heart's hope and move on?

How can I?

Even now, after spending my nights in another woman's bed, I still haven't been able to let go of Haruka.

Someone is knocking on my dorm room door…

Haruka left my room an hour ago. Last night, after I let her in, she sat quietly on my bed and motioned for me to sit next to her. She stared at the bed covers and we sat in silence for what felt like an eternity.

I felt cold as ice, terrified and more nervous than ever before. When she finally looked up at me, I saw an abundance of pain in her violet eyes. I wondered if she was going to tell me we could no longer be friends. My heart beat shallow and my limbs started to tremble.

I didn't realize I'd been crying, until I felt her fingers brush the tears from my cheek. She cupped my cheeks and brought my face to hers, our foreheads touching.

She asked me why I was crying. I told her I was afraid of what she had to say. My stomach rose and my heart thundered.

Much to my surprise, she pulled me into an embrace. I was now utterly confused. She told me she didn't come to speak, to give a new name to something as old and natural as breathing. She said she didn't blame me. All I could do was stare at her and wonder what she was talking about.

I asked her why she was here with me, instead of home with her husband. I swear I saw mirth alight her face and dance in her eyes.

She released me, smiled, and enlightened me about her arranged marriage of convenience to her homosexual husband. I felt my eyes widen in shock. She chuckled at my reaction. After the shock wore off, I got angry and demanded to know why she didn't tell me sooner. She looked down at the bed covers again and remained silent for several minutes before finally speaking.

She asked me if I loved Chie. I was speechless. My mind raced as I tried to figure out how she found out. As if she read my mind, she informed me Aoi told her. Aoi saw Chie and me exiting a love hotel and after confronting Chie, Aoi decided to tell Haruka. Violet eyes pleaded for an answer. I told her I didn't love Chie and the feelings were mutual. Chie was and still is in love with Aoi, even after Aoi announced her engagement last week.

Haruka looked in my eyes and I saw how this hurt her, but I quickly remembered how deeply I hurt as she prepared for her wedding. It's what drove me into Chie's arms. Haruka embraced me again and confessed the news from Aoi opened her eyes, but her brain needed time to catch up, because she didn't understand her feelings. She apologized for taking this long to come to her senses and hoped it wasn't too late for us.

I didn't know what to say to her, so I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. After several minutes, she leaned away from me and looked into my eyes. She cupped my cheek and murmured, "I heard your words and felt the truth of your heart, but it became lost in labels." She boldly moved her hand from my cheek to my neck, then down to rest on my chest, directly above my heart.

I tried to say something, but she closed her eyes and shook her head. My head was spinning and I was too shocked to comprehend what she was telling me with her words and through her actions.

Deep in my heart, I knew it took every ounce of her courage to do what she did next. She removed my glasses, set them on the table by the bed, and held me close. I heard her take a deep breath and felt her lips on my neck. My body reacted with an almost primal instinct to her touch. Her fingers entwined with mine in a hold so free and light, yet strong and unyielding.

I gasped when her lips moved gently up my neck and down to my throat. My tears began again, but this time I felt them deep inside, not merely on the surface. I was thankful they didn't deter her from continuing to pleasure my neck with kisses. She never loosened her grip on my hand either.

My body felt limp as she laid me back on my bed and between kisses, began whispering the words I never dared dream I'd hear from her. Those words pierced my soul.

"This I understand…," she kissed me once.

"This I will never deny…," she kissed me three times.

"If you love…," she inhaled deeply and kissed me.

"We love…," her hand drifted over my chest and slowly worked the buttons of my shirt free, as she parted my legs with her knee.

"I don't know why love must be labeled…," I finally understood her resistance…why she had called it filthy and distasteful.

"Love needs no other name…," with those last words; her lips met mine for the first time.

She never released my hand as she claimed my body and shared her own. Every touch reminded me of her last words. Every soft penetrating kiss and gentle exploratory touch left electric trails along my skin. They became an extremely powerful memory, so sensual, and all consuming.


	15. Omicron

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai HiME and its characters are Sunrise property.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This chapter is a brief respite in the usual dark nature of this story, enjoy it while it lasts.

**CO-AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Oi, such an ominous warning in your author's notes.

To our loyal fans and readers, I offer my most humble apologies because *I* was the reason this chapter took forever to be posted. Elder Master gave me her part of the chapter quite some time ago, but well…my life got in the way. Please enjoy.

* * *

**Omicron**

At Fuka Gakuen,

As Mai prepared the afternoon meal, she sensed Mikoto's presence before she actually saw her standing in the rear kitchen doorway.

Without looking up from the stove, Mai addressed Mikoto, "Mikoto, why aren't you helping Midori?"

"Midori and Miyu went on a supply run. They told me to stay here and help Nao," Mikoto answered.

"Well, why aren't you helping Nao?" Mai asked, as she looked up from the pot she was stirring.

"Nao is bathing Shiho. She told me to…," Mikoto replied, "get the fuck out," she mockingly quoted Nao.

Mai stifled a laugh and coughed. Mikoto rushed to Mai's side.

"Mai? Mai?" Mikoto asked with panic in her voice.

"Mikoto, I'm fine. Go see if Nao needs help with Shiho," Mai waved Mikoto away.

"Nao told me…," Mikoto began, but Mai cut her short.

"Then go see if Youko needs help," Mai instructed.

Mai could not stifle her laughter when she saw the look of sheer terror on Mikoto's face.

"Oh…alright…you can stay here and help me, but you must not get under foot, okay?" Mai caved and kissed Mikoto's cheek.

Mikoto happily sat on a stool near Mai and watched her cook. After several well-behaved minutes, Mikoto grew hungry.

"Mai?" Mikoto asked, just as her stomach growled loudly.

Mai laughed and handed Mikoto a ball of rice. The young athlete wolfed it down in two bites.

"MIKOTO! Don't eat so fast," Mai reprimanded.

"Sorry, I was hungry," Mikoto smiled.

Mai picked up a large pot to bring to the serving table, but Mikoto swiftly took it from her and carried it to the serving table herself. As Mikoto placed the pot on the serving table, she heard a loud crash behind her. When she turned around, she saw Mai passed out on the floor.

"MAI! MAI!" Mikoto yelled and ran to Mai's side.

Mikoto attempted to revive Mai by shaking her, but it didn't work. She didn't know what to do, because she didn't want to leave Mai on the floor, yet she knew she needed Youko's help. Mikoto grabbed a towel and placed it under Mai's head before sprinting towards Youko's laboratory.

Youko directed all her attention to the two test tubes in her hands, as she slowly added the latest combination of antibiotics to a sample of Shiho's blood.

"YOUKO!" Mikoto screamed as she burst through the laboratory door.

Both test tubes shattered as they hit the floor.

"MIKOTO!" Youko yelled.

"Mai…Mai…she's…," Mikoto pointed in the direction of the kitchen and sputtered as she caught her breath

"Mikoto, calm down…what happened to Mai?" Youko asked slowly, trying to calm Mikoto down.

"Mai…she passed out…kitchen," Mikoto managed.

Youko quickly headed towards the kitchen with Mikoto on her heels. When the two women entered the kitchen, they found Nao cradling Mai's head in her lap.

"What happened here?" Nao demanded.

"Mai…passed…out," Mikoto replied.

Mai groaned and began to stir. She opened her eyes and saw the three women standing around her.

"I'm fine," Mai said curtly and tried to sit up.

Nao held Mai in place and motioned to Youko to examine the stubborn chef.

"Nao please, let me up. I'm fine…just tired," Mai lied.

"Yeah, right…and Midori is seventeen," Nao replied sarcastically.

Youko pressed her hand against her mouth to stifle a laugh. She knelt down next to Mai and began to examine her. After a cursory examination, Youko informed everyone Mai was just suffering from exhaustion and prescribed rest, but made the young chef promise to come in for an extensive examination later.

Elsewhere on campus,

For awhile, Alyssa has been concerned about maintaining power throughout the entire campus. The main generator's fuel supply was beginning to dwindle, so it was used only during the day. At night, the emergency generators were used, because they used petrol and could be dedicated to individual needs around the campus. Even with all the unnecessary lights and other features turned off, the emergency generators were still being drained daily. Nao and Mikoto were making petrol runs every four days. After their last run, they brought back a carton of hurricane lamps and several containers of oil to help alleviate some of the burden. Nao informed Alyssa the petrol tanks within driving distance were beginning to run dry.

Fortunately for Alyssa, her laboratory was powered by an independent energy source and not dependant on the generators. Her work did not require continuous power, so she suggested trading laboratories with Youko, because her work was dependent on continuous power. In Youko's current stressed out state, she wasn't in any mood to move her entire laboratory.

After losing power in her laboratory for the umpteenth time, Youko finally gave in to Alyssa's offer to trade laboratories. Instead of moving into Youko's make-shift laboratory, Alyssa decided to move her laboratory into one of the large rooms adjacent to hers. This way, she could spend more time with Alicia.

While the two scientists were playing musical laboratories, Alyssa sent Midori and Miyu out to bring back some special supplies. Thanks to the information she was able to retrieve via the new DiNet connection, Alyssa directed Midori to the closest airfield to refuel the helicopter.

Through Alyssa's and Yukino's conversations, they determined solar panels and wind turbine conversion were viable power alternatives. Alyssa shared this information with Youko and Midori. The problem was finding somewhere with all the necessary equipment, close to Fuka. Once again, Yukino, with the help of DiNet, was able to locate a warehouse with most of the necessary equipment. The only problem was the standard blades used for the wind turbines were too long to transport back to Fuka.

On a small airfield,

Midori's eyes actively scanned the immediate area as she refueled her helicopter. Even though Miyu was lookout, Midori couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach and maintained her own alert vigil.

As Fate would have it, the trip to the airport solved the wind turbine blade problem. As Midori scanned the area, a moment of pure genius struck her. She instructed Miyu to strip the propellers off some of the smaller planes.

"I will gather four propellers while you attend to the refueling of 'Gakutenou'. Then we will discuss our options," Miyu said rather decisively.

Midori could have sworn she heard sarcasm in the way Miyu said 'Gakutenou.' She muttered, "Nobody makes fun of 'Gakutenou' without rebuttal," even though she knew Miyu wouldn't care either way.

As Midori scanned the surrounding area, she felt as if they were being watched. She thought about her Benelli M3 semi automatic shotgun attached to the back of her seat in the Gakutenou. She kept rubber bullets loaded in her Benelli M3, but she carried two boxes each of slugs and buckshot, for more intense situations. Midori loved the Benelli M3 for its versatility as either a semi automatic or a pump action shotgun. This was the reason she chose it.

After Midori finished refueling, she reached into the helicopter's cabin for the Benelli M3. As she pulled it out, she looked at the labrys on the cabin wall, directly above and behind her seat. Youko commissioned a master artesian to recreate Midori's beloved element on a smaller scale and presented it to Midori on the first anniversary of their tour company. Every single time Youko looked at it, she would chuckle at how close their tour company came to being named 'Labrys Tours.' Midori had the labrys painted on the doors of 'Gakutenou' as their company logo.

Midori grabbed the box of slugs and as she swapped ammunition, she continued to survey the area. Several minutes later, her eyes widened with surprise when she saw a large transport truck heading towards her. Midori quickly took aim at the driver's window, posed to fire. The truck stopped a safe distance away from Midori with its back doors facing her. Midori rested her finger on the trigger and prepared herself for the worst.

When Miyu exited the truck, Midori sighed in relief. Miyu opened the back doors to show the redhead the propellers and other useful equipment she retrieved. Midori nodded and Miyu closed the doors. The bio-droid walked over to Midori.

"Have you seen anyone yet?" Miyu asked, noting Midori's gaze was focused on the control tower.

"I thought I saw someone moving around up there," Midori said as she passed the binoculars to Miyu.

"I have no need of those," Miyu replied as she declined the offered binoculars, "My vision is much better than even these allow."

"How could I be sure? Considering all the modifications you've had recently?" Midori questioned with mirth in her voice.

Miyu stared at Midori, completely un-amused, which was mistakenly interpreted by Midori, so she clarified her joke, "You know…upgrade the emotions…oops, not enough memory…gotta dump some other programming functions."

"I understood. I found your attempt at humor quite lame…," Miyu said as she took off at top speed towards the tower, materializing her Gatling gun along the way.

Through her binoculars, Midori watched Miyu confront and kill two men in the tower, then jump out the window. Even with her speed, Miyu was not fast enough to reach Midori before a man snuck up behind the redhead with a rope and began choking her. Midori struggled against the rope in a blind panic, dropping her Benelli M3 and binoculars. As she struggled with the man, a flash of black and blue sped by them, and then Midori felt the rope loosen. When Midori turned around to thank Miyu, she found the bio-droid holding the man's disembodied head and staring intently at it.

"How Shakespearian of you," Midori joked, using humor to belie the queasiness in her stomach.

"I recognize this man," Miyu stated as she accessed the Shakespeare reference from Hamlet and rolled her eyes, "He was a Searrs agent, as were the other two."

"Yukino told Alyssa that Searrs was laid up in Italy," Midori exclaimed, trying to process all of the implied scenarios prompted by Miyu's statement.

"These men were attempting to contact someone…probably the faction in Italy. As I approached the tower, I overheard them reporting that contact was lost in Fuka and Sendai," Miyu stated as she placed the man's head on his body.

"Fuka and Sendai?...Spies?…What the hell?" Midori wondered aloud.

"There was paperwork in the tower. I will retrieve the paperwork, two more propellers, and then we must leave immediately. You remain here and stay alert. There may be more men," Miyu said firmly as she stared deeply into Midori's eyes, as if she were judging her.

"Depends…," Midori said suddenly self-conscious for no reason.

"Yes?" Miyu questioned.

"Apologize to 'Gakutenou,'" Midori said sheepishly defiant, as a smile crossed her face.

Miyu's response came as a gust of wind, reminding Midori of her Child and Miyu's notable lack of a sense of humor.

"Alyssa should've added a sense of humor to the list of upgrades," Midori snickered.

As Midori bent down to retrieve her Benelli M3 and her binoculars, she cursed when she found her very expensive binoculars were broken. She shuddered as she suddenly dreaded having to break this news to Youko. Miyu soon returned in a fuel truck with two propellers and three files from the tower. She loaded the new supplies in the transport truck and returned to Midori.

"I located this fuel truck across the tarmac from the tower, it is already filled. After we collect the remaining supplies from the other location, we will return and refuel before returning to Fuka," Miyu stated as she boarded the helicopter.

"What's in those files?" Midori asked as she started up the helicopter.

"I do not know," Miyu responded as she opened the first file.

Miyu noted photographs of each HiME and their most important person. She pondered the absence of Midori's and Youko's photographs. The photographs of Akane, Kazuya, and Yuuichi were stamped 'DECEASED.' The photographs of Reito surprisingly caused Miyu to involuntarily close her eyes in disgust. When she came across the photographs of Alyssa and Alicia, she gasped, causing Midori to look at her in surprise.

"What did you find?" Midori yelled over the sound of the helicopter.

Miyu motioned she would tell Midori after they landed. Once they landed at their last destination, Miyu handed the file in her hands to Midori. Everything the redhead read in the file sickened, angered, and saddened her. Midori also wondered about the absence of hers and Youko's photographs among the other HiME. Miyu intently watched Midori's facial expressions and decided it was time to end this.

"We must finish this run today, so I suggest you cease reading the file any further," Miyu stated firmly as she removed the file from Midori's clenched fingers.

"They've been using Reito like some sort of lab rat," Midori railed through her hot tears.

"I am sorry this affects you so deeply, but I need you to gather your wits and complete this run. I also need for you to answer some questions for me," Miyu said as she exited the helicopter, prompting Midori to follow.

"Questions…hmmm…well, I'm not sure why they have all this info or why they found all of this necessary," Midori began rambling as she wiped away her tears.

"No, not those questions Ms. Sugiura. I could answer those much better than you could. My questions are about love," Miyu responded.

Miyu's question threw Midori into a weird fit of laughter, which took well over twenty minutes to recover from. After regaining her composure and finally responding to Miyu's question, Midori was back to the HiME of the Wind, the leader of the HiME Sentai, and the self professed seventeen year old once again.

"I hope you've got enough space in your memory, because this is going to take awhile," Midori chuckled as she and Miyu walked towards the warehouse.


	16. Phi

**DISCLAIMER: **Mai HiME or My-HiME and all its profits belong to Sunrise. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op 27, No. 2; popularly known as the "Moonlight Sonata," is by Ludwig van Beethoven.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This chapter though not long on words is so on its ideas. There are some things here that are left open to interpretation. As for the long wait blame the wandering muses. Read, review, and enjoy.

**CO-AUTHOR'S NOTES: **OMG! This was a LONG chapter to get out. Enjoy!

* * *

**Phi**

With the newly installed wind turbines and solar panels working well, life at Fuka Gakuen appeared idyllic…at least for the moment. The alternative power sources provided enough power to the campus, making petrol runs no longer necessary. Supply runs were quick and easy now, thanks to Gakutenou.

On this peaceful sunny day, from a window in Alyssa's laboratory, Miyu watched Mikoto play with Rin on the lawn. Mikoto and Rin had yet to show any signs of being sick or fatigued. At first, the extremely cautious bio-droid was unsure about entrusting Rin to Mikoto's care, but the little girl took readily to the young athlete and both of them had enough energy to keep up with each other. Miyu touched her face and felt a smile. She silently thanked Alyssa for giving her this moment.

Miyu checked her internal timer and realized Alyssa had been gone for a considerable amount of time. Right after Alicia's morning feeding, Alyssa told Miyu she had some unfinished work in the old Searrs laboratory. Before she left, Miyu scanned Alyssa's vitals and found them rather precarious. The bio-droid wanted her mistress to rest, but the stubborn young scientist fought off Miyu's pleas, packed up what she needed from her laboratory, and left.

A coughing fit woke little Alicia from her nap and she began crying. Miyu quickly picked up Alicia and rubbed her back as the coughing lightened up. Over the past few days, little Alicia grew more congested and now it was constant. Miyu and Youko were both extremely concerned about the infant's health and equally worried about Alyssa's blatant denial of her daughter's current state.

Miyu replayed an argument Alyssa had with Youko right after Alicia's last physical examination:

_"Listen, I'm not ignoring Alicia's needs. She is only congested and shows no signs of a fever or…those horrible sores," Alyssa said exasperatedly, as she rubbed Alicia's back after another coughing fit._

_"Just because the signs aren't present, doesn't mean Alicia is not sick," Youko responded and made notes in Alicia's medical chart._

_"There is a lot to be done in a short amount of time. I'm doing the best I can for all of us," Alyssa said defiantly and stormed out of Youko's laboratory with Miyu in hot pursuit._

_"Miss Alyssa, please calm down and listen to Youko. She __is a doctor…," Miyu quickly shut her mouth when she realized her mistake, but not before she angered Alyssa further._

_Alyssa picked up her pace and headed for Alicia's room. She slammed the door shut with an extremely loud bang and locked it. Miyu thought about picking the lock and letting herself into the room, but she didn't want to risk angering Alyssa any further. The bio-droid knew how her mistress got when pushed too far and Miyu didn't want that to happen…not with Miss Alicia's life in the balance._

_In the blink of a human eye, Alyssa exited Alicia's room and stood directly in front of Miyu._

_"Watch her closely and alert me the minute her condition changes. I need to take care of something for a few hours," Alyssa instructed and tenderly touched Miyu's cheek._

_"Miss Alyssa…," Miyu was uncharacteristically at a loss for words._

_"I'm sorry for my terrible behavior earlier, but I know you understand, right?" Alyssa leaned up and kissed Miyu's cheek._

_Miyu nodded and watched Alyssa leave. She went to check on Alicia. The angelic sleeping infant made gurgling noises as she slept._

Alicia began wiggling in Miyu's arms, so the bio-droid walked over to the small refrigerator and began heating a bottle for the little girl. After she fed Alicia, Miyu went to find a babysitter for the infant, so she could check on Alyssa in the old Searrs laboratory.

As Miyu drew closer to the old Searrs laboratory, she could hear 'Moonlight Sonata' playing. From what she could hear, it seemed to be looped into a repetitive playback. She deduced Alyssa must have done this to get her through a particularly tough problem, because the song's somber tone eased the young scientist. Miyu noted Alyssa had recently taken to playing classical music exclusively. Like many of the great classical composers, Alyssa was a prodigal child and their works not only inspired her, but also calmed her mind. Although Alyssa listened to J-pop and other styles of music, Classical was her favorite.

"Hey Miyu, hold up a minute," Midori called out, as she jogged to close the distance between them.

"Is there a problem Miss Sugiura?" Miyu asked flatly, as she scanned Midori's vitals.

"First, please call me Midori. Second, Youko and I are concerned about Alyssa's blatant denial of Alicia's condition," Midori said breathlessly, after catching up to Miyu.

"Miss Alyssa has been under great stress lately Miss Midori. I believe she may soon become too sick to handle everything," Miyu replied and caught Midori's pained smile.

"Just Midori, please," Midori repeated as they started to head towards the laboratory under the rebuilt church.

After the Carnival ended, Alyssa and Miyu chose to remain at Fuka. Once the church's rebuild was completed, Alyssa re-established the old Searrs laboratory underneath it. As Miyu and Midori entered the opened church doors, Midori winced at the lingering scent of death still permeating from the sanctuary.

"Kami-sama!" Midori exclaimed, covering her nose and mouth, heading quickly towards the back door leading to the laboratory.

"The scent of death will haunt this place until it is burned down to the ground, once again," Miyu said casually, as she remembered the blackened husk the place used to be.

Strains of "Moonlight Sonata" grew louder and clearer as they got closer to the laboratory.

"Moonlight Sonata? Could she be more depressing?" Midori asked after she recognized the music.

"Yes she could, but we did not bring any American country music with us," Miyu answered as she entered the laboratory.

Midori suppressed her urge to laugh when she saw Alyssa sleeping soundly. Miyu quickly scanned her mistress to confirm her sleeping state and cautiously caressed Alyssa's face, wiping away the light sheen of cool sweat gracing her forehead.

"Miss Alyssa? It is nearly time for lunch," Miyu whispered in Alyssa's ear.

Watching this interaction between Miyu and Alyssa made Midori feel as if she were intruding on an intimate moment between lovers. She didn't understand why, she only knew she did. Midori admired how their relationship appeared to have grown over the passing years. There was a very human quality to Miyu whenever she was with Alyssa, and it was stronger when the bio-droid was with both Alicia and Rin. Midori blushed as Alyssa opened her eyes, stretched, and returned Miyu's soft caress.

After Alyssa was completely awake, she leaned up to Miyu and placed a simple kiss on her companion's cheek. At this point, Midori had to turn away from this obviously intimate moment. Once again, Midori felt justified in her decision to opt out of reformatting Miyu that fateful day.

"You both can tell Youko I am fine and would appreciate a little faith in my medical knowledge," Alyssa stated firmly.

"I'm sorry Alyssa, but most of us would feel better if you would work solely out of your laboratory at the school," Midori replied, remembering her earlier conversation with Youko.

"I need the resources of this laboratory. It has a separate power source, so it doesn't put any strain on the power to the school," Alyssa stated and shut down her computer.

"With Miyu's help, we could move the resources you need from here to your laboratory at the school," Midori proposed the plan she and Youko worked out earlier, well aware Alyssa wouldn't go for another laboratory move, without a viable option.

Alyssa thought about the proposal for a moment and responded, "I will consider your proposal and give you an answer by the end of the day tomorrow."

As the three women walked back to the mansion, Alyssa mulled over Midori's proposal. While she felt the old Searrs laboratory was better suited for her needs, the prospect of spending more time with Alicia and being closer to Youko's laboratory would better suit her end goals. When they crossed the school grounds, Alyssa averted her eyes as they passed the pyre on the athletic field.

Arriving at the mansion, Alyssa smiled as she watched Mikoto and Rin playing on the lawn, while Mai, Nao, and a very pale Shiho sat chatting nearby. Alyssa drew in a sharp breath when she realized Shiho was cradling Alicia in her arms. In a panic, she quickened her pace and went to take Alicia from Shiho. Alyssa hugged her little daughter tightly and cooed lovingly at the now awake infant. Alicia started fussing and reached out to Miyu. Miyu walked over to mother and daughter. She lovingly placed one arm around Alyssa's shoulders and played with Alicia with her other hand.

"Rin and Mikoto begged me for a picnic today," Mai smiled brightly and motioned towards the three large baskets set on a nearby blanket.

"Hmmm…you know, I just realized Mai was right about Alicia," Nao stated, as she picked up the ball that rolled towards her, "She really does resemble Miyu, except for the blonde hair and the necessary diaper changes," Nao threw the ball back to Mikoto.

Several chuckles wafted from the crowd. Alyssa slyly smiled in response. It was true Alicia's features were reminiscent of Miyu's, as well as her own, but Alyssa gave birth to her daughter. This was the only detail she shared with others. The truth behind Alicia's conception would remain a closely guarded secret, even from Miyu.

Miyu took Alicia from Alyssa and brought her over to play with Rin and Mikoto. The bio-droid sat down on the soft lawn with Alicia between her legs. Rin and Mikoto plopped down on either side of Miyu's legs to play with the happy infant. Alyssa settled down under a large shade tree near the others and watched her family. It never ceased to amaze her what a happy child Alicia was. Midori left to pry Youko from her laboratory.

"So what's the word on Mr. Sakomizu's condition?" Alyssa asked as she lay back against the large shade tree.

"His condition hasn't changed. He's still holding classes daily and boring the hell out of the students," Nao said as she thought of the burly man.

"Why are they bothering with studies? It's not like there's a world left for those kids," Shiho rudely commented, just before she broke into a nasty coughing fit.

"Bachi…," Nao reprimanded, as she looked at Shiho, who was still coughing hoarsely.

"Stupid drumsticks," Shiho grumbled through her now wracking coughs.

Midori and Youko walked up and sat down next to Alyssa under the large shade tree. They agreed to table the discussion about the laboratory move. Lunch was very relaxing. Midori regaled the group with wild tales of adventure and Youko interjected whenever her redheaded partner stretched the truth a bit too far. Shiho spent the remainder of the day guarding her nasty comments, not because she feared the retribution of Bachi; she just didn't want to go through another harsh coughing spell…just in case.

As lunch wrapped up, everyone headed back inside. The telephone rang inside and Alyssa answered the call. It was Yukino.

The next day was a complete contrast to the day before. Yukino's news about Searrs' advancement towards Fuka brought a somber hue to the day and barely two words passed amongst the girls. Searrs would be upon them within the next few days, which meant all defensive steps were top priority.

Miyu was helping Midori move the necessary equipment from the old Searrs laboratory to Alyssa's laboratory in the school. Alyssa and Youko were busy working on their respective projects. Mai was in the kitchen preparing lunch. Mikoto and Nao worked on securing the school's perimeter. Rin and Alicia were down for their naps with Shiho babysitting. Alyssa fought Miyu about having Shiho watch the napping children, but finally relented after realizing there was no one else available.

Today, given the circumstances, Mai decided on a buffet lunch. This way, everyone could grab something to eat and quickly return to work. After she finished setting out lunch, Mai went to check on Shiho. As she approached the bedroom, a blood-curdling scream tore through the hallway. Mai froze in her tracks. Another painful agonizing scream pierced through Mai and Shiho burst into the hallway, crying and carrying a small bundle. She paused to look at Mai and then ran down the hallway, as if the Devil was on her tail.

"Shiho, what's wrong?" Mai yelled at the retreating woman.

Before Mai could run after Shiho, Rin stumbled into the hallway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When the gravity of the situation hit her, Mai couldn't stop the tears overwhelming her. Mai scooped Rin into her arms and headed in Shiho's direction. She could not run with the child in her arms, so she moved as quickly as she could. When Mai came upon Mikoto in the hallway, she left Rin with her athletic partner. Mikoto and Rin watched in confusion as Mai dashed off in Shiho's direction.

What seemed like endless ear-splitting screams echoed throughout the school, bringing everyone running towards the source. When she reached the buffet, Mai's fatigue hit her hard. Although she wasn't sick yet, she was increasingly fatigued. Youko was unable to find the source of the fatigue, since Mai was getting plenty of sleep, thanks to Mikoto's diligence. Mai cursed the Searrs scientists as she hit her knees, her stomach going into spasms, and her lungs growing heavy.

Amidst all the chaos, no one noticed the arrival of one well-stocked car and its' three passengers.


End file.
